Second Chances
by tinyhuman02
Summary: AU: After two new residents transfer to Seattle Grace Hospital, their presence threatens to disrupt the lives of those who thought their deepest secrets would stay buried and hidden from their peers. Japril/Jolex/AK2 friendship.
1. Friend or Foe

**Hey, folks! It's been a while since I posted anything new, but I'm back :) I actually started working on this story back in November, set it aside for some time and began writing for it again a few months ago. I like to call this a "dirty laundry" fic because many of these characters have secrets that will eventually be revealed as the story progresses. Expect slow burn for some storylines, so please be patient!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Grey's or its characters. If I did, they would be treated much better on the show lol**

* * *

Friday night. The Emerald City Bar was packed with patrons. Many of them had traveled the short distance across the street from Seattle Grace Hospital. The bar was a popular hangout for employees of the teaching hospital, especially the residents. It was the perfect place to unwind after a long, stressful week.

Jackson Avery held a glass of whiskey in one hand while carefully aiming a dart with the other hand. He pinched an eye shut to help himself concentrate, but his alcoholic beverage already had a distracting effect on him. "Damn," he mumbled under his breath after his dart narrowly missed the inner ring he was aiming for. He had hit it three consecutive times and finally missed.

"It's okay, Avery. You're not kicking my ass or anything," George O'Malley sarcastically said, switching spots with his fellow resident for his turn at the dartboard.

"You guys, I'm heavily considering specializing in something else," the dark skinned man announced, setting his glass on a table and leaning against it.

Lexie Grey furrowed her brow in confusion. "But why? You've had cardiothoracic surgery written on your forehead since medical school."

"And you're basically the reason why none of us are bothering with cardio since you staked your claim to it," Jo Wilson added.

The four surgical residents were two months into their third year of residency at Seattle Grace. While declaring a specialty wasn't necessarily required yet, all of them had an idea of what area of surgery they were interested in the most. And attendings anxiously awaited their decisions because they all stood out in their own ways. They were reliable and competent compared to some of the other residents in their class.

Avery was a familiar name that couldn't be ignored. His family's name was cemented everywhere at Massachusetts General Hospital. His grandfather was Harper Avery. An award named after him was given to the top surgeon in the country every year. After graduating from Harvard Medical school, his family expected him to begin his residency in Boston, but he wanted to make a name for himself without having to rely on his last name all of the time. He packed his bags and moved across the country to Seattle, to his grandfather's dismay.

Lexie had also attended Harvard and was Jackson's classmate. They had dated during medical school, but remained good friends after they started their residency at Seattle Grace. Seattle was her hometown and it had been a dream of hers to become a surgeon in the hospital she grew up admiring. Her older sister, Meredith, was in her first year as a general surgeon attending. However, she treated having her younger sister in the same hospital as more of a curse than a blessing to be working together.

Jo mainly grew up on the East Coast, though she kept the exact location a secret from her peers. In fact, even her closest friends didn't know much about her background. While she didn't have a famous last name or any close connections to help her get into any medical school she wanted, she worked hard for everything she earned. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania before landing in Seattle.

Unlike his friends, George didn't graduate from the prestigious Ivy League. Born and raised in Seattle, he attended the University of Washington for medical school. A hardnosed worker, he felt fortunate to be a part of Seattle Grace's residency program. His large number of recommendations helped him get into the number two teaching hospital in the country.

The foursome had been a tight-knit group since their intern year. Although their personalities and upbringings differed from each other, they had been the intern group the other doctors in their class envied because they got along so well – and they scrubbed in on the best surgeries.

"Altman keeps putting me on Yang's service. She won't let me touch any of her patients," Jackson complained. Cristina Yang was in her first year as a cardiothoracic fellow after completing her residency at the Mayo Clinic. Although he was a favorite among the more familiar attendings, she wasn't as generous to him. "Did I do something to piss off Altman? You guys would tell me if I did, right?"

"You're paranoid. You're Altman's favorite. You didn't do anything," Lexie assured her friend. "Yang is… already friends with Meredith. Enough said. Besides, she's probably still trying to adjust to teaching residents after she spent five years being one."

Jo scoffed. "I highly doubt Yang's interested in teaching us. This morning, I greeted her in the hallway and she didn't even look at me. All she said was, 'Don't talk to me.' I think she's Satan in disguise."

"Funny, I thought that was Meredith," the other brunette woman quipped. "Mer and I will never work together. I think she's been secretly rigging the system, so I'm never on her service."

"Could you blame her? I mean, you've always been kind of smarter than her," George noted.

Lexie was deemed a gem amongst the residents due to her photographic memory. Sometimes she was more reliable than a printed medical journal from the research library. "Who knew skipping the third grade would lead to a grudge almost 20 years later?"

"Avery, my day was worse than yours," he declared. "I was on the service of the new plastic surgeon, Sloan. The guy is a total douche. He confused me for an intern, so I spent the day buying him coffee and picking up his dry cleaning."

Jackson smirked. "O'Malley, you gotta stand up for yourself more. We're third years now. This year we'll be getting solo surgeries… unless, you're on Yang's service," he stated, mumbling the last comment. He sipped his whiskey, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Maybe I'll give neuro a try."

"Umm, excuse me, but neuro is mine," Lexie defensively replied before grinning at him.

"You were much nicer when we were dating," he teased. After finishing his drink, Jackson nodded towards the bar. "I'm gonna get myself a beer. Anybody want a refill or something else? It's on me."

Jo waved her empty beer bottle, signaling for another one. Lexie and George were content with their beverages, so Jackson approached the bar and ordered two new beers. While he waited for their beers, he turned around on impulse when the front door's bell jingled. It meant either guests were arriving or leaving. In this case, they were new arrivals. However, one of the guests immediately drew a scowl on Jackson's face.

A man with brown hair was accompanied by a redheaded woman. They appeared to be new to town as they cautiously observed their surroundings. The man easily recognized Jackson and made direct eye contact with him. Before he could even approach the surgical resident, the latter charged towards him, swinging his right arm and punching his face. The force caused him to stumble and fall back onto the floor. It was enough to draw the attention of nearby bystanders.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jackson growled, hovering over the other man like a 7-foot giant. He clenched his fists tightly, like he was prepared to throw more punches. "If you don't get out of here in the next five seconds-"

"Avery, you're gonna regret it in the morning," George intervened, stepping in front of his coworker. Gently, yet forcefully pushing him away from the man, he waved at Joe the bartender, who was ready to call the police. "I got it, Joe. Don't worry. He's fine."

The redheaded woman helped the man onto his feet, placing a hand on his back. "Maybe… we should just leave," she timidly said.

"Yeah, let's go," he muttered, reaching up to touch his swollen eye.

Jackson angrily furrowed his brow as he watched the pair leave the bar. His friends and coworkers normally saw him as a cool and collected person at the hospital. Hardly anything rattled him, so his furious reaction was a new side they hadn't seen. Lexie had seen him punch someone in the past during medical school. That guy had it coming, though. However, she had never seen the unidentified man before, so she was just as curious as everyone else.

"Who was that guy?" Jo curiously questioned after she and Lexie joined him and George.

"He's…" He slowly opened and closed his fist as the stinging pain in his knuckles finally began to surface. "He's nobody."

* * *

April Kepner retrieved a bag of frozen fruit from the freezer and walked into the living room of her apartment. Her friend was seated on the couch, his left eye slightly shut, and she sat down beside him. "This will do for now," she insisted, slapping the bag against his eye.

"Oww! Jesus, April! The hell was that for?"

"Because you did something. You don't just walk into a bar and get punched for it. What did you do? Who was that man?"

"I didn't do anything! And I'm not talking about this with you."

"Alex…"

"Can you let me ice my eye in peace?" Alex Karev retorted, resting the back of his head against the couch. April simply stared at him, like she was attempting to drill a hole through his head, so she could read his thoughts. "No matter what you say, I'm not gonna tell you."

She folded her arms and pursed her lips. "Well, I'm your roommate, so you'll have to tell me sooner or later."

"By default," he chuckled. "When I meet some new people you can find yourself another roommate."

"You're the one who decided to tag along when I chose to transfer out of Mayo," she reminded him. "And I still don't understand why you opted to leave. The attendings didn't hate you. Actually, they sort of did, but you were one of the best residents in our class."

April and Alex were third year surgical residents. The redhead decided to transfer after their second year at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. She had her reasons for leaving, reasons her roommate swore he wouldn't discuss with anybody until she felt comfortable talking about them. He could act like a complete douche bag to her, but he was very good at keeping her secrets to himself. Alex, on the other hand, she was left clueless as to why he wanted to transfer out with her.

Even though they were friends, they had very little in common. Both of them grew up in the Midwest, April in Ohio and Alex in Iowa. They shared an interest in college football. Neither of them attended Ivy League schools, but had met at the University of Michigan for medical school. Those were the few things that they shared in common.

They initially got on each other's nerves for different reasons. Alex was an obnoxious smart ass who constantly teased April for being a goody two shoes with the professors. His sloppiness and occasional forgetfulness to take a shower easily turned her off. She thought she would never have to see him again following medical school, but he had chosen Mayo for his residency as well, to her dismay.

Their common practice of bickering and teasing each other eventually evolved into a friendship. When Alex failed his medical boards exam, April was the first person to volunteer to help him study for his retake. They also teamed up to study for their intern exam. As much as she annoyed him with her perkiness, he hated seeing other people treating her like crap. He always knew his teasing was meant to be harmless, but when others tried to do the same to her he grew a protective side. Nobody really dared to mess with Kepner if Karev was nearby.

"Mayo wasn't that great," Alex nonchalantly replied.

"Yes, because being the number three teaching hospital behind Hopkins and Seattle Grace makes them unworthy," April sarcastically answered, rolling her eyes. "You didn't have to come here, Alex. I can take care of myself."

"Dude, it's not just about you, alright?"

"Okay, so it's about that other man, huh?" April could barely suppress a smile as she asked, "Was he your…"

"No! God, no," he quickly denied. "I'm not gay. He's not important."

She sighed as she pushed herself up onto her feet. "Right. I totally believe you. Well, I'm gonna unpack the rest of my boxes in my room and then call it a night. Don't stay up too late."

Alex softly groaned. "My eye will look like crap on Monday."

"Don't be a baby and whine about it!" she playfully scolded him. "Just be glad we won't be running into that guy at work. Goodnight, Alex."

Alex laughed to himself after April disappeared into her bedroom. If only she knew the whole truth, he thought.

* * *

George set an ice pack on the island counter where Jackson was seated behind it on a stool. The latter graciously took it and placed it on his bruised knuckles. "Thanks, O'Malley," he said, wincing as he pressed the cold ice against his hand.

The trip home from the Emerald City Bar had been quiet. Fortunately, it had been a short walk across the street. Their apartment was located directly across from Seattle Grace Hospital, making multiple drinks easier to enjoy following their shifts. However, their Friday night was cut short following the unexpected arrival of the mysterious man Jackson refused to talk about.

"You think you'll be allowed to operate on Monday?" George inquisitively asked. He eyed Jackson's knuckles, which were already a faint purple color.

Jackson shrugged, then he half-smiled. "Maybe I'll be on Yang's service again. That would be a blessing in disguise."

"So umm, you and this other guy. Did you two… experiment in college?" George sheepishly questioned. His roommate shot a glare at his direction and he quickly raised his hands in front of his chest, forcing a laugh. "I'm just trying to figure out why you punched him in the first place. Does it have to do with that woman he showed up with?"

"No, I've never seen her before. It's very complicated, alright? I'm not in the mood to talk about it tonight."

George quietly nodded, lightly tapping his fingers against the counter. He broke the awkward silence a minute later by asking, "Do you think that woman was his girlfriend?" Jackson raised his eyebrow and smirked. "I mean, she was cute. Too cute for that guy, I think."

Jackson chuckled. "I didn't get a very good look at her, to be honest. Man, I do feel sorry for her if she _is_ his girlfriend."

"Why? He stole a woman from you, didn't he?" His roommate didn't answer. Instead, Jackson stood up and walked to his bedroom while he iced his hand. George trailed behind closely. "I'm right, aren't I? C'mon, you're practically eye candy at our hospital. Those green eyes, that smile. Well, your face in general. You can have any woman you want. I bet the woman he stole wasn't that special."

Stopping in the doorway of his bedroom, Jackson spun around on his heel and smiled. "George, you're a great friend and all, so please don't take offense to what I'm going to say. Shut up, man," he lightheartedly replied before entering his room and closing the door.

Jackson lay down on his bed and let out a loud sigh. He removed the ice pack from his hand to examine the damage. He could barely open and close his hand without grimacing. Whosever's service he would be on for his next shift was going to be annoyed with him if he can't operate. But his hand wasn't his worst problem.

The man he never thought he would see again suddenly reappeared and he couldn't be more upset about it. He was not only pissed but also confused about why Alex Karev was in Seattle in the first place. Whatever his reason was, Jackson hoped it was a coincidental encounter. He didn't want to know nor did he actually care why Alex was in town. If he had a magic wand, he would immediately wave it at the other man to make him disappear.

He already desperately wanted the guy out of his life again.

* * *

Monday morning arrived and the residents were in their locker room before 6 AM for morning rounds. It was a normal routine for them, though sometimes much earlier check-ins for the interns. But Monday's were always a drag because it signaled the beginning of yet another long week.

Lexie approached Jackson after she changed into her baby blue scrubs. Her friend was in the middle of swapping his red t-shirt for his own baby blue scrub top when she leaned against his cubby and folded her arms. "How's the hand?"

"Better. I'll be able to operate if I'm needed," he determinedly answered. Jackson had spent his weekend icing and reducing the swelling in his hand. Minimal bruising remained, but the pain was less severe. "Whose service are you on today?"

"Freaking Yang," the brunette replied in disgust. She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Obviously you're not. Who are you with?"

"Not really much of an upgrade from Yang. I got Sloan," he muttered. Plastics was the last place Jackson wanted to work in, especially because of his hand. He knew Mark Sloan was a perfectionist with a reputation of barely allowing residents below fourth year to touch his patients. If he noticed the discoloration on the third year's hand, he would likely be doing coffee runs for him. "I'd rather have Yang. Want to swap?"

Lexie laughed, shaking her head. "Nice try, but I would rather do suction with Yang than be Sloan's personal slave."

While the residents continued to prepare for their shift, Amelia Shepherd, a fifth year and chief resident at Seattle Grace, entered the locker room with two new members following her from behind. She whistled to get the doctors' attention. "Good morning, residents. It's nice to see everybody here on time. We have two transfers from the Mayo Clinic who will begin their third year with us today."

Jackson turned away from his cubby to look at his new coworkers. His face immediately fell when he spotted Alex standing behind Amelia. "You've gotta be kidding me," he mumbled loud enough for Lexie to overhear.

"He's a doctor too?" she whispered. "Huh, now this is becoming intriguing."

"This is Dr. Alex Karev and Dr. April Kepner," Amelia introduced the pair. "Please help them feel welcome. They're not entirely familiar with our facilities yet, so I've partnered a couple of you up with them. The attendings are aware of their arrival, so don't hesitate to introduce these two if you happen to encounter them in the hallways. Now, Wilson. Where are you?"

Jo waved her arm from her cubby. "Over here."

"Kepner, you will be with Wilson. You're on Arizona Robbins' service today. She's the Chief of Pediatric Surgery." Amelia found Jackson standing by his cubby and grinned at him. "And Avery, you will be with Karev. Plastics, right?"

"Unfortunately," Jackson murmured.

She didn't ignore the scowl on her coworker's face. "Problem, Avery?"

He slowly shook his head, facing his cubby again. "No, ma'am."

"Ma'am is what you call the Chief. I'm not that much older than you," Amelia scoffed. "That's a reminder for all of you. Do _not_ call me ma'am." She turned around and smiled at Alex and April. "There are empty cubbies available. Pick one and it's yours for the rest of the year. If any of these guys give you trouble, let me know. Any questions?"

"Uh, yeah. Can I be with someone else?" Alex requested, scratching the back of his neck.

Amelia slightly furrowed her brow. "I'm afraid I can't place you anywhere outside of Plastics. That eye of yours would scare the children in Peds, you can't look like a trauma victim in the ER and with that black eye you simply don't look professional enough to be with Neuro," she explained. "Nobody will care in Plastics. Well, if you don't impress Sloan on your first day, you can kiss holding a scalpel goodbye."

Alex rolled his eyes. His left eye had a small amount of swelling and it was surrounded by a mixture of purple and blue. Since stepping a foot inside of the hospital, he easily received numerous stares because of his eye. The Chief of Surgery, Miranda Bailey, had been caught off-guard by his newly minted shiner. He used a feisty game of pickup basketball over the weekend as an excuse.

"Fine, whatever."

After Amelia left, both Alex and April began searching for an empty cubby. There was one beside Jackson's and Alex attempted to claim it. Before he could place his bag inside, Jackson stepped in front of the cubby. "This one's taken."

Alex scowled back at him. "There's nothing in there."

"Find another cubby, Karev," Jackson sternly replied, returning the scowl. "I'm serious."

"Freakin' A," he mumbled to himself and walked across the room towards April, who set her purse inside of her own cubby. "Switch with me."

April glanced over her shoulder at Alex. "What? Why?"

"Just do it, okay?" Alex briefly glimpsed back at Jackson, who had an icy stare while he watched him like a hawk. "That douche bag won't let me have that one, so instead of making a scene over it just switch with me."

They were already slightly running late, but April decided to give in to Alex's demand. She sighed in annoyance as she grabbed her purse. "Fine, but you owe me." She walked past her roommate and across the room to the other cubby. Jackson had moved aside by then and finished changing for work.

He hung his stethoscope around his neck as he eyed the redheaded woman beside him. Her auburn hair partially covered her face, but he had seen it in its entirety when she walked across the room. George wasn't kidding when he said she was cute. While he never wanted to admit it, his roommate's taste in women had always been somewhat questionable. Not this one, though.

And she wasn't just cute. She was quite beautiful.

"Hey, I'm Jackson. Jackson Avery," he introduced himself and extended a hand out to her.

"Mmhmm," she hummed without bothering to look at him.

Jackson softly laughed, tilting his head and hoping April would finally make eye contact with him. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"You already know my name. Dr. Shepherd just said it about two minutes ago," she bluntly replied.

"I know, but I thought we could do the formal introduction, you know?" Jackson didn't receive a response from April and he smirked. "Look, I totally get the cold greeting. It's because I punched your boyfriend Friday night-"

"He's not my boyfriend," April retorted, turning her head to look at him. It wasn't until she got a clear shot of Jackson's face did she almost blush at the sight of him. His green eyes were almost hypnotic and his boyish grin… she could tell he was very experienced with being a charmer. She quickly snapped out of his pretty boy trance and cleared her throat. "But Alex _is_ my friend. A good friend, actually, so I probably shouldn't even be talking to you right now."

He casually leaned against his cubby and continued to smile. "You'll have to talk to me eventually. We work together now. Besides, you don't even know me."

"And you don't know me. Perhaps it's for the best," she insisted, grabbing her scrubs and walking to the private bathroom to change.

Jackson turned his head as his eyes followed April until she closed the bathroom door. He felt a light slap against his chest and Jo stood beside him. "Hitting on the enemy already?" the brunette teased.

"She's not the enemy. Be nice to her, okay?" he advised.

"Geez, Avery. Five minutes of knowing her and you're already drooling," Jo quipped, nudging her coworker with her elbow. He slightly scowled eliciting a chuckle from her. "Fine, fine. Everybody deserves a chance, even the woman who seems to be close to the guy you punched."

"She's not his girlfriend that's for sure," Jackson noted. "And her name is April Kepner."

Jo guffawed before she started walking away from him. "Let the infatuation begin."

Jackson waited outside of the locker room for Alex. As tempting as it was to ditch his new coworker and force him to search for Sloan alone, he reminded himself that he was currently one of the heavily favored residents in his class. He didn't want the attendings thinking of him differently just because of a guy he hated. Checking his watch, he worried they were going to be late. Mark Sloan loathed incompetent residents. He had been on his service only once so far, but he had witnessed an intern receive a stern lecture for being one minute late.

Alex stepped out of the locker room wearing his brand new scrubs and lab coat. His spotted Jackson leaning back against a wall while he texted on his phone. "I'm here. Where's this Sloan dude?"

"I have two rules and you better damn well follow them," he started, avoiding eye contact on the way to the elevator. "One, we only talk for professional reasons. Trying to make small talk with me inside of this hospital is _not_ gonna happen. Two, you stay the hell away from me outside of work. Got it?"

"Look, I'm not gonna let you order me around like I'm some dumb intern."

Both men stepped inside of an empty elevator. Jackson pressed the button to close the doors repeatedly, so they were alone. He pressed his hands against Alex's chest, shoving him against the wall. "Whatever your reason is for being here, I don't care. We already established the last time I saw you that you're nothing to me," he sternly replied. "So now you're trying to be like me? You're not fooling anybody, Karev. Mayo is a top hospital, but Seattle Grace is an entirely new arena. You'll sink and I'll make sure of that."

Jackson left the elevator as soon as the doors opened. Alex rolled his eyes, trailing closely behind. "Freaking drama queen."

It was going to be a long year for the both of them.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think please :)**


	2. Getting To Know You

**Hey, folks! Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate the feedback. I've seen some comparisons to the Owen/Nathan situation, which I fully expected, but when I planned this story that storyline on the show was just about to unfold, and I'd say the only things the plots have in common are some hostility and that punch thrown lol. Anyway, I'm trying my best to give both pairings some attention while also mixing interactions between characters :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The first day on the job at a new hospital had gone well for April so far. She was fortunate to be partnered with a resident who treated her like an equal. At the Mayo Clinic, there were residents who had acted territorial and competitive. Although she was guilty of being the same way occasionally, starting fresh in a new environment where the majority of the residents had already established their reputations with the attendings put her at a disadvantage. However, Jo had been kind and helpful with her, which she was grateful for.

Working in the peds ward was almost like a reward April didn't know she wanted. Arizona Robbins was one of the younger attendings at Seattle Grace. She had already been named the Chief of Pediatric Surgery after finishing her fellowship at Johns Hopkins the previous year. Her bright and cheerful personality helped calm April's nerves. She had dreaded a cold, stern attending as some sort of hazing ritual for new residents.

"I told you Robbins was one of the nice attendings," Jo reassured April as they walked down a hallway together. They were given a break, so they spent that time roaming through the hallways in order for the redhead to become more comfortable with the layout of the hospital. "As long as you do what she asks of you and don't give her attitude, you'll remain on her good side."

"Thank you so much for your help. Honestly, I thought I would be given a harder time because I'm new. A teaching hospital like this one has to be full of competitive doctors," April acknowledged. "Mayo was an amazing facility, but this place is ridiculous. All of the state of the art technology here, and I thought Mayo was luxurious."

Jo softly laughed. "Trust me, I think I barely slipped into this program. So many medical school students apply here and they only accept about 20 a year. And that number always decreases with some interns flunking out or residents just can't keep up with the expectations placed on them," she explained. "So, umm, what made you transfer from Mayo? Seems their only flaw is that they're ranked below Seattle Grace."

April hesitated to respond, opening and closing her mouth quickly. That was a story she would wait a little longer to tell. "A change of scenery was necessary. Plus, Seattle Grace was my true number one choice, but I hadn't gotten in the first time I tried. Once I found out there were openings, I applied immediately."

"That's fair. What specialty are you looking into?"

"I'm thinking either neuro-" April slightly furrowed her brow when Jo cleared her throat to interrupt her. "Or maybe trauma." She grew even more curious as her coworker made a face. "What?"

The brunette chuckled. "You want neuro? You'll have to fight Lexie Grey. She's been claiming it since intern year. I mean, she scrubs in on most of Dr. Shepherd's – _Derek_ Shepherd, Amelia's older brother – surgeries. Good luck taking that out of her hands," she amusingly replied. "But trauma, you might have better luck with. O'Malley is very interested in it, but he's not gonna pounce on you the way Lexie would for that specialty."

"What about you?"

"I'm kind of lost at the moment. I haven't decided yet. You're safe around me for now."

April snickered. "Alright, then." She stopped in front of a vending machine, reaching into her lab coat pocket for her coin purse. Her stomach was beginning to growl – she was too nervous earlier that morning to eat breakfast – and lunch seemed too many hours away. She opted for a bag of mini pretzels, punching in the given code with her finger. The bag got stuck midway through and she slapped her palm against the glass. "Oh, c'mon!"

Jo leaned her shoulder against the side of the vending machine as she watched April abuse the front of it with her hand. "Smacking it won't work. You have to tip the machine over and shake it a bit."

"Hmm… I'm not sure I have that kind of strength. Maybe you could help?" she suggested.

The two women grabbed the sides of the vending machine and attempted to shake the bag of pretzels free. Their groans and awful coordination drew stares from people passing by. April was about to give up when help arrived.

"What are you doing?" Jackson inquired, smirking at them.

"My pretzels are stuck," April sighed. "We thought shaking the machine would free the bag."

"Oh, let me," Jackson insisted. He waited for Jo and April to step aside before he gripped the sides of the vending machine and shook it hard once. The force allowed the bag of pretzels to fall from the shelf. He retrieved the bag and handed it to the new girl. "Here you go."

"Thank you." She opened the bag and held it in front of him. "Want one?"

Jackson smiled gleefully as he reached into the bag. "Sure, thanks." He hardly cared that Jo stood behind him giving him the stink eye. The fact that April was kinder to him now than earlier in the locker room was encouraging. "I think you and I got off on the wrong foot this morning. I'm quite a decent guy once you get to know me."

April internally wanted to punch herself for nearly melting at the sight of Jackson's perfect smile. And his eyes. Those eyes should be illegal, she thought. "You're Jackson, right?" He simply nodded and she extended her hand to him with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

He shook her hand and noticed how soft her skin was. Already, he wanted to thank whatever moisturizer she used. "Has anybody ever told you how cute your dimple is?" It wasn't until she smiled at him that he saw the lone dimple on the left side of her face.

"Oh, brother," Jo muttered to herself, palming her face while slowly shaking her head. She knew exactly what her friend was doing and he was very talented in the flirting department. "Avery, why are you even here? Plastics isn't anywhere near Peds."

"I have to get some lab results for Sloan," Jackson answered, which wasn't a lie. As he expected, Sloan was treating him like an intern and dumping scutwork on him. "I'm taking a shortcut."

"Right. A _shortcut_ ," she mockingly repeated, rolling her eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, you're on the opposite side of the surgical wing, which means you're actually a lot farther away from the lab."

Jackson pursed his lips as April raised her eyebrow at him. Only Jo would purposely sabotage his plan in front of the woman he was trying to impress. She had done it in the past because she found it entertaining. "I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere," he mumbled, walking past the redheaded woman. "Maybe I'll see you around later."

Jo smugly grinned to herself before she and April began walking the opposite direction. "Don't mind Avery. He's a huge flirt," she bluntly stated. "He once flirted with Teddy Altman for surgeries until she caught on and almost got him fired."

"Avery. Is he related to…"

"Yep. He's Harper Avery's grandson," she nonchalantly answered. "And he hates talking about his family's legacy at Mass Gen, so avoid that topic when you're around him. He moved out here to avoid it, but despite that, he's still heavily interested in cardio. That's another specialty you shouldn't bother with."

"Are you two friends? You seem to be annoyed by him."

"Only when he turns into a cheesy flirt," Jo chuckled. "But we're friends. He, Lexie, O'Malley and I are pretty tight. You and that Karev guy are the same, huh? What's the deal between him and Jackson anyway?"

April shrugged. "I'm in the same boat as you. I had no idea they knew each other and I still don't know how they do."

* * *

Jackson carried his lunch downstairs to the basement floor where his friends were already gathered in the tunnel, which was their secluded hideout when they weren't busy. The other three residents were in the middle of a discussion about a trauma that had arrived earlier in the morning. His lunch break had started a little later than he expected after Sloan had asked him to run errands that required him to travel all over the hospital, none of them actually relating to surgery. He hated Plastics with a passion and he didn't need experience in the OR to feel that way.

"Sloan is a jackass," he grumbled, sitting beside Lexie on the abandoned gurney the group claimed. "Not one thing I've done so far today involved treating a patient. Plastics sucks."

"Maybe he noticed your hand," Lexie suggested. She picked up Jackson's right hand and carefully examined it. "The bruising is still fairly noticeable. Yeah, he's treating you like an intern on purpose."

"It doesn't even hurt that much," he stubbornly replied. "I can stitch a patient easily. And you know what? He hasn't been sending Karev on intern type tasks. We have a mandibular reconstruction and odds are I'll be sitting in the gallery, while he scrubs in. It's his first day and somehow, he's being treated like a fourth year."

George chewed his food as he slightly leaned forward to look at his roommate. "Sloan is probably intimidated by you. You might be too pretty for him," he quipped.

Their female friends snickered as Jackson rolled his eyes. "I bet he's cutting him some slack because he's new. Sloan just wants to look good by acting like a real teacher for a day. He'll treat Karev just like any other third year during his next Plastics rotation."

"Speaking of Karev, what's the deal with you two? Ever gonna tell us?" Lexie probed. The mystery behind Jackson's connection to Alex had been bothering her since their encounter at the bar. She tried to force the information out of George by interrogating him incessantly until he cracked, but it turned out to be pointless since he didn't know anything either. It wasn't surprising that her ex-boyfriend was tightlipped about it. He had the tendency to keep his secrets bottled up, and he would only reveal them if it was absolutely necessary. "Or perhaps I can ask him instead."

The pretty boy shook his head, instantly regretting talking about Alex. Just the thought of him was revolting, so he decided to change the subject. "Jo, you didn't invite April to eat lunch with us?"

Jo softly groaned. "She wanted to eat with Karev. Besides, if she was here, you'd never shut up about her," she irritably answered, then she glanced back at her coworkers. "Avery is like a 16-year old boy with raging hormones around her, like he just discovered women. He was stalking her in the peds ward this morning."

"Okay, I wasn't stalking. I made a wrong turn on my way to the lab and we just happened to run into each other," he retorted.

"But the lab isn't near Peds," George said with a puzzled expression on his face. He noticed the scowl on Jackson's face and shifted in his seat. "This hospital is still easy to get lost in, though. So… you talked to her?"

"Oh, they did more than talk. They shared pretzels," Jo sarcastically stated, playfully batting her eyelashes.

Lexie laughed as Jackson continued to pout while he ate his lunch. "Wow. Sharing food already? The first time you and I had a conversation you broke my pencil," she amusingly replied. "Well, who am I to judge? I haven't officially met April yet. What's she like, Jo?"

"She's sweet and soft spoken. Might be into neuro-"

"I hate her already," she interrupted.

"What was that about judging?" Jackson asked with a smirk. "Our conversation was short, but I think we should let her in. You'd like her, Lex."

"Not if she's trying to get into neuro here," his ex-girlfriend chuckled. "April might be an overall friendly person, but I need all the advantages I can get with Shepherd. Dividing his teaching time between two residents means twice the number of surgeries I'll miss out on if she's better than me. Shepherd only chooses one resident to assist him in the OR and I would like to keep that advantage."

To say Lexie was competitive would be an understatement. She was number one in practically everything. Valedictorian of her high school class, even obtaining a perfect score on her SAT. She was at the top of her class at Harvard – both for undergraduate and medical school studies – as well as in their intern class. She was naturally gifted intellectually. Some of her peers were rather intimidated by her photographic memory. So when she had her eyes on something she was very determined to have it for herself.

Lexie Grey did not like to share.

"One missed surgery won't derail you," Jackson firmly stated. "Just give her a chance before you decide to hate her."

"Says the guy who's completely infatuated with her," Lexie sneered, smiling back at him. "And how much do you know about Kepner? For all we know, she could be psychotic and deranged. Don't you find it a little weird that she and Karev decided to transfer out of Mayo midway through residency? Mayo is a great hospital. Oh! I bet they were kicked out."

George looked at Lexie skeptically. "If that was the case, Seattle Grace wouldn't have accepted their transfer requests. Bailey's really careful about who this hospital takes in," he countered.

"Why don't you ask April, George?"

"Me?" he timidly responded. George could barely keep his composure staring at the new female resident, let alone talk to her. "Why me?"

"You're friendly and trustworthy. April will warm up to you easily," Lexie insisted.

"Or you could just leave her alone," Jackson bitterly murmured.

Lexie rolled her eyes at her ex-boyfriend. "You only don't want anybody talking to her because you want her all to yourself."

"That's not it. She just started working here. We shouldn't overwhelm her with a bunch of personal questions that she might not even be comfortable answering. We can't come off too strong, you know? We want her to feel welcome and not unwanted." Jackson chewed his food, while his three friends stared at him intently. He slowly glanced back at them and mumbled with a mouthful of food, "What?"

"You're such a lovesick puppy," Jo bluntly answered.

Jackson pursed his lips as the threesome laughed together at him. It wasn't that Jo was wrong. In fact, she was very, very right, though he would openly deny it every time. There hadn't been a woman who made an immediate impact on him since meeting Lexie in medical school. He flirted occasionally with women he met at Joe's or even some of the nurses, but they never gave him any feelings to want to date them. April had definitely given him that feeling again.

He quickly finished his lunch and slid off of the gurney. The faster he got out of there, the less teasing he would have to endure. "I'm out. See ya later, losers."

"Remember, Plastics and Peds are nowhere near each other!" Jo teasingly called out, and he offered a middle finger in response as he left causing her to laugh again.

Jackson tossed his trash into the nearest garbage can on his way back to the surgical wing of the hospital. He returned to his patient's room where Sloan and Alex were discussing pre-op plans. He checked his watch knowing that there was enough time to spare before they were supposed to begin prepping their patient. "Prepping him already?"

"Ah, Avery. Glad you could finally join us," Mark casually replied, staring down at the patient's chart. "Now that you're back, you can start prepping Mr. Robertson for surgery. Karev and I are gonna head over to the OR. Gonna give him a quick tour before he scrubs in with me."

"Wait. What?" he irritably asked. "Sir, I know a lot more about this mandibular reconstruction than he does. Why does he get to scrub in? I'm not even late. You didn't even give me a fair chance."

"Sure I did. Karev got here before you did, so he's scrubbing in." Mark patted Alex's shoulder and ushered him out of their patient's room. "I want our guy in the OR on time, Avery. You can watch in the gallery with the interns."

Jackson fought his hardest not to throw punches at both Sloan and Alex. The latter smirked back at him on his way out, which only infuriated him even more. He hoped he wasn't planning on specializing in cardiothoracic surgery. Otherwise, he would probably have to physically wrestle him for surgeries.

* * *

For Alex and April, their first day as residents at Seattle Grace had exceeded their expectations. Neither of them had anticipated scrubbing in as the newbies of the third year resident class. Their peers were already many steps ahead of them, yet that hadn't stopped them from gaining some ground with a couple of attendings. Perhaps tomorrow would be a completely different experience, but for now, they were going to celebrate a successful first day.

"It was amazing, Alex. Robbins actually let me place the liver inside of our patient _and_ she trusted me enough to close," April excitedly said as she and her roommate exited the elevator together. Their shift was over and they were on their way to the locker room to change out of their dirty scrubs. "I thought I'd just be shadowing Wilson around today, but I felt like a surgeon. It's like I already belong."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Sloan's not as kind. I mean, all I did was pick up the reconstruction plates and hand them to him," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Well, I suppose that's more than what Avery did. He was watching from the gallery. At least I scrubbed in."

April stopped Alex in front of the locker room entrance. The unknown connection between him and Jackson had been bugging her since the previous night. As much as she tried to push that thought aside, being questioned about them hadn't helped. She was just as curious as the rest of the residents. "Are you ever going to tell me what's up with you two?"

"Nope," he nonchalantly replied, walking past her and into the locker room.

She didn't hesitate to follow him to his cubby. "We all work together, Alex. The truth is bound to come out sooner or later. Besides, Jackson doesn't seem like a bad guy. He's actually pretty sweet."

"I never said he was. Dude has a problem with _me_ like I'm the bad guy," Alex retorted. He removed his scrub top and tossed it into his cubby. "And I'm not."

"I know you're not, but why does he think you are?" April sighed impatiently when Alex remained silent. She threw her arms up in frustration as she padded across the room towards her own cubby. "Fine, fine. I'll just nag you about this when we're having drinks at that bar across the street. Maybe I can get you drunk enough for you to blurt it out."

As the two residents began changing into their street clothes, Jackson entered the locker room after his shift ended. His day had been less than stellar, which in his mind was an understatement. No surgeries, only scutwork. And to add to insult, he was required to watch the mandibular reconstruction in the gallery with interns, while Alex assisted Sloan during the procedure. Even Cristina Yang allowed him to do real work under her service. He hated himself for thinking about it, but he almost missed the cardiothoracic fellow.

His mood had gotten worse as the hours passed, but there was one person who could brighten it just a little bit. He was more than delighted to see his new cubby buddy inside of the locker room. They hadn't spoken since that morning, but he hoped to change that before the night was over.

He simultaneously removed his lab coat as he approached his cubby. "Hey."

April adjusted the hem of her green top before turning to face Jackson. "Getting off work too?" she politely asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am," he enthusiastically replied. Jackson pulled his scrub top over his head and smiled at April, who was attempting to divert her eyes anywhere but on his muscular physique. He knew women fawned over his toned body. He didn't openly brag about it, but he was well aware that women stared. The new girl was no different, but she was trying her hardest to pretend she didn't care. "Do you want to head over to Joe's, grab a drink?"

"Well, I already made plans with my roommate for drinks, but you can join us," she offered. "We're all going to the same place, right?"

"Your roommate isn't Karev, is it?"

And almost as if on cue, Alex approached them after he finished dressing into his street clothes. "Ready to go?" he asked April, exchanging a brief glance with Jackson, who turned away and faced his cubby.

"No, thanks. I'd rather drink poison," the pretty boy scoffed.

April shook her head disappointedly and grabbed her purse. "I don't even know why I bothered."

The guilt immediately sank in as Jackson watched the pair leave the locker room. He didn't mean to respond coldly to April. If anything, the response was for Alex, which clearly didn't translate well with the redhead. She had nothing to do with their issues, and he sensed she didn't know anything about it. Otherwise, she wouldn't have invited him to join them for drinks. Now she probably assumed his kindness was an act, he thought. He would have to wait until the next day to earn back the points he just lost.

* * *

Upon entering the Emerald City Bar, Alex casually approached an open bar stool knowing he wouldn't be greeted with a punch this time around. He was relieved that Jackson hadn't accepted April's invitation. When she initially offered it he already made an excuse in his head to go home instead. She was the friendly type, the kind of person who thought about others before herself. Sometimes he wished she could be a little more selfish. Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about unwanted tension with Avery for the rest of the night.

The bar was only about half-full. It was a Monday night after all. April sat down beside him as she scanned their surroundings. There were a lot of neon lights illuminating the bar, as well as Seattle sports teams memorabilia hanging on the walls. It didn't reek of cigarette smoke, which she was grateful for. She could get used to spending Friday nights here.

Joe the bartender approached them from behind the counter. "What can I get you kids?" He slightly furrowed his brow at Alex, then he snickered. "You're the guy Avery punched the other night. I'll tell ya, I've never seen him that pissed off before. He must really hate you."

"Yeah, I heard," Alex muttered. "You got burgers here?"

"Five different kinds. The bacon cheeseburger is a favorite."

"Uh, I'll have that then, and a beer would be nice too. Whatever's the best on tap, man."

"Call me Joe." The bartender insisted before he turned his attention towards April. "And what about you, little lady?"

"Do you have onion rings?" April smiled when he nodded. "Okay, I'll have that and a bottle of Blue Moon, please. Oh, and you can call me April Kepner. Dr. April Kepner, to be exact."

Joe smirked at the redhead. "Polite, adorable and a doctor. I like you already," he complimented. "And what's Grumpy's moniker?"

"The name's Karev, or Alex. Whatever. Just don't call me Grumpy," Alex answered with a pout.

"We're both surgical residents at Seattle Grace. It was our first day today," April added. "Heard this was _the_ place to be after a long shift, so here we are."

"Well, you heard correctly, Kepner," Joe proudly replied. He opened a fresh bottle of Blue Moon and set it in front of April. "I'll ring up your orders and come back with your beer, Karev."

April happily smiled at Alex after the bartender left them alone. "I love Seattle already."

Alex snickered, shaking his head. "Jesus, I don't understand how I've been able to tolerate your perkiness for as long as I have," he jokingly stated, receiving a light punch against his shoulder afterward.

"Being nice to people can get you very far. Keep that in mind," she noted before sliding off of her stool. "I'm going to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

Alex sipped his beer after Joe delivered it to him. He quietly sat in his seat, checking messages on his cell phone and glancing up at the TV on the wall to watch the latest sports highlights on ESPN. A minute later, a familiar brunette woman appeared beside him. Jo stood about a foot away from him and appeared to be waiting for someone. They hadn't officially spoken to each other yet, so he decided to seize the moment – and maybe get her phone number.

He turned his body sideways on the stool and extended his hand. "We haven't formally met yet. Alex Karev."

Jo reluctantly shook his hand and slightly smiled. "Jo Wilson." She released her hand from his grip and casually wiped her palm against the back of her jeans. Alex's hand was notably sweaty, but she wasn't going to flat out tell him that – unless she needed to retaliate. "Heard you scrubbed in with Sloan. That must have been boring."

"It was better than watching from the gallery with dumb interns," he insisted. "What's Jo short for?"

"We don't know each other well enough to reach that level of information."

"Oh, so what boss level do I have to defeat to gain access to that?" he quipped.

Jo slyly grinned at Alex. "Well, you could tell me what the hell is going on between you and Avery. I think that's a fair trade."

"Please, I'm not an idiot. I'll just read your lab coat next time," Alex sneered. "The crap between me and Avery is gonna stay between me and Avery. It's none of your business. But for the record, I'm not the bad guy here. I'm totally innocent."

"Yeah, I believe that," she sarcastically replied.

"How about we stop talking about Avery? Sit down and have a drink with me?" he suggested with a grin on his face.

"I could, but I won't."

"Why not?"

Joe returned with a carry out bag and set it in front of the brunette. "Here you go, Wilson. The usual, just the way you like it."

Jo smirked at Alex as she picked up the large paper bag. "This is why. I'm having my dinner to-go."

"C'mon, you can always just eat it here. I've got my own food too. And uh, Kepner's here. You like her, right?" Alex normally didn't resort to begging to get a woman to stay, but he needed an ally besides April at the hospital. Jo seemed like somebody he could trust since she already became acquaintances with his roommate.

It didn't hurt that she was attractive either.

"Listen, it's nothing against you. Really," she claimed. "But I have to go home and feed the cat."

Alex laughed to himself as Jo headed for the exit. "Cats are independent creatures! It can last another hour or so without food," he called out, though she was already gone by then.

"Tough cookie that one," Joe acknowledged after Alex readjusted his sitting position. "Don't underestimate her."

"Yeah, sure," he amusingly answered. "She doesn't intimidate me."

* * *

 **It'll be a while before you'll know anything juicy about April ;) Let me know what you think please!**


	3. Territorial Instincts

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Again, with this being a slow burn fic, you'll have to wait a couple of more chapters, which are already written, before getting some direct answers ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was a new day and Jackson was determined to have a do over with April. He felt he had given her hot and cold vibes, and he hadn't done it intentionally. But she hardly looked impressed after their last encounter and he hoped to make it up to her. He would get that chance at the beginning of their shift. The third year residents were gathering outside one of the skills labs for their weekly session.

Before Jackson arrived, he made a small detour to the coffee cart in the main lobby of the hospital. He always thought they produced the best coffee. Although he didn't know what kind of coffee April preferred, he decided to wing it and bought her a vanilla latte while he ordered the same for himself. It wasn't his favorite, but maybe he would enjoy it more if she liked it.

He entered the crowded hallway where his fellow residents mingled amongst each other. April was leaning back against a wall beside Alex. They were having their own conversation when he stood beside her holding the coffee cup in his left hand in front of her.

"This is for you. It's a vanilla latte," he offered, taking a sip of his own latte. "From the best coffee cart in the hospital."

"Oh," April softly squeaked, accepting the latte. She shyly smiled back at him, her eyes quickly looking down at her fresh cup of coffee afterward. "Thank you. You didn't have to do this."

Jackson placed his hand against his chest and returned the smile. "I was kind of an ass to you last night. Consider this an apology from me to you, and we can start over from there."

"Well, I wouldn't say that. I should've known better than to ask you to join Alex and I for drinks because I already knew what your answer would be," she admitted, sipping her latte. "But a simple, 'No, thanks,' would've been a better way to reject the idea."

"Let's put it this way – I wasn't rejecting _you_ , if that makes sense." He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he knew that Lexie, Jo and George were watching them from only a couple of feet away. Their presence annoyed him because he wanted to have one conversation with April without his friends giggling like gossiping school girls while they watched. "I mean, I would love to have drinks with you sometime."

April paused from drinking her latte as she glanced up at Jackson. "Like… a date?"

"If you want," he nervously replied, scratching the back of his head. "Or it could be casual. Umm, you haven't formally met my other friends yet. They're standing over there. You know Jo, though. Why don't I introduce you to the rest?"

"Sure."

Jackson led April towards his friends, who stopped whispering amongst each other and put on their best smiles. "Guys, I know you already know her name, but this is April."

Lexie exchanged a handshake with the redhead. "Hi, I'm Lexie Grey and I'm very much interested in neurosurgery. It's practically my religion. I've scrubbed in on at least 140 surgeries with Dr. Derek Shepherd."

"Very subtle of you," the pretty boy sarcastically mumbled. He gestured his free hand towards George. "And this is my roommate, George O'Malley."

April extended her free hand and smiled. "It's nice to meet you." They shook hands, though George's grip was very tight and he seemed reluctant to release her from his grasp. "You can let go now."

George sheepishly grinned after April forcefully pulled away. She was much prettier up close and personal. Unfortunately, his roommate had already staked his claim on her, which happened far too often, even if the women they were both interested in didn't stick around long. "You… have nice hair."

She slowly nodded, awkwardly smiling back at him. "Thank you. How about I introduce you to Alex?"

Not that April gave the group much of a choice. She quickly returned to Alex's side, grabbing his wrist and dragging him towards them before they could respond. Her roommate wasn't in the mood to meet new people, especially this group. The scowl on his face perfectly described how he felt about the situation.

"Alex Karev, this is Lexie Grey, George O'Malley and-"

"The cat lady," Alex chuckled, referring to Jo. He folded his arms and threw a smirk her way. "I bet your cat was actually disappointed when you arrived home. Probably enjoys being alone more than your company."

Jo slightly furrowed her brow at him. "No, my cat was elated to see me, thank you very much."

"And your full name is…" Alex leaned forward to read the name stitched on Jo's lab coat and cackled when she attempted to cover it with her hand. He managed to see it before she could hide it. "Josephine. Huh…"

" _Huh_? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just… huh," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Would've never guessed. Cool name, Josephine."

Jo wagged her finger at Alex. "No way. You're not allowed to call me by my full name. Only my grandmother can call me Josephine. You, if you call me by that name again, you are gonna be sorry," she sternly said and nodded her head towards George. "Just ask O'Malley."

George grimaced as he fidgeted with his badge. "She slammed me against a locker intern year," he murmured, reaching up and rubbing his right shoulder as if the pain he had experienced from his feisty coworker's retaliation suddenly resurfaced.

"Anyway, how do you two know each other?" Lexie straightforwardly asked, pointing at both Jackson and Alex. Both remained quiet and avoided eye contact. Her ex-boyfriend drank his latte, while the other man picked at a loose thread on his lab coat. "Oh, we all know each other's names now. We're all buddies, right?"

"No," the two men responded in unison.

The group turned their attention towards the voice of an agitated attending echoing through the hallway. Cristina Yang was pushing her way through the sea of baby blue while also angrily ordering them to clear the path, so she could pass.

April's face lit up when she spotted the cardiothoracic fellow. "Dr. Yang! I heard you were working here now."

Cristina stopped in her tracks, eying the redheaded woman from head to toe. "Good morning, Kepner," she kindly replied, even cracking a small smile. She noticed Alex standing beside April and her smile quickly changed back to the cold expression the other residents were used to seeing. "Oh, it's you."

"Yang, you know you missed me," he teasingly answered.

"Whatever, Evil Spawn," she scoffed, then she walked away from the group and turned the corner into another hallway.

Lexie stared at April with her mouth partially dropped open. Nobody in their residency class had gotten Cristina to smile or even received a warm greeting from her. In fact, none of the other residency classes did either. She likely only smiled around Meredith, but the proof of that had yet to exist. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" April asked curiously.

"Yang was _nice_. She's never nice to any of the residents and interns!"

"She doesn't even acknowledge our presence half the time," Jo amusingly added. "I'm practically invisible to her."

April dismissively waved her hand and smiled. "Yang completed her residency at Mayo this past year, so we kind of know each other, that's all. And she acted the same way over there too."

"But she was nice to you," Lexie noted, enunciating every word slowly as if she needed April to understand her point. "And she clearly hates Karev, so why was she nice to you?"

"She's the Yang whisperer," George blurted out in amazement. "Please, teach us."

"What? It's nothing," April chuckled. "I'm sure she'll be treating me the same way as you guys in no time."

Lexie wasn't convinced by April's explanation. There was definitely more than she was letting on, she thought. She suspected Yang was withholding some dirty laundry that April was clearly aware of, but was sworn to secrecy and received the polite treatment in return. April seemed to be the type of person Cristina loathed – perky, friendly and someone who smiled. It made her very suspicious now.

* * *

"This is our recently renovated emergency room," George proudly stated after he and April stepped out of an elevator. Following their skills lab session, he was more than elated to find out that she was assigned to the ER with him that day. Unlike some residents, he certainly didn't mind sharing duties with her, _especially_ her. Even without knowing a lot about her, he sensed that maybe they shared common interests. He thought impressing her with his knowledge about the ER would be a good start. "We recently bought new state of the art machines as well."

"Wow," April whispered to herself, her eyes scanning the design of the ER. The enhanced technology – a large video board at the nurses' station displaying a patient tracking system, which explained the tablets they used instead of charts, and the machinery sitting in an adjacent room blew her mind. "Does umm, do they have anything fancy like this up in Neuro?"

George forced a chuckle as he guided her towards the machines. "You're really gonna try to wrestle that from Lexie? No offense, because I don't know you yet, but she's feisty."

"What makes you think I'm not? I can be feisty. I know how to weasel my way into surgeries. Just ask Cristina Yang," she determinedly replied.

"I… I would, but she kind of scares the crap out of me," he timidly answered with a sheepish smile. Clearing his throat, he pointed at the largest machine in the room. "Anyway, this is the Lodox. It's a low-dose radiation x-ray scanner. It's safe for children and pregnant women. It can scan an entire body in thirteen seconds. Makes traffic move a little faster upstairs in Radiology."

"Holy crap! Mayo didn't have anything like this!" April excitedly stated. "And us residents can touch this machine?"

"Yup. Yours truly has used it many times before by myself," George bragged. "And I can teach you how to use it. It's very simple. Dr. Hunt trusts me the most with this one."

"Jo told me you're interested in trauma surgery."

George nodded. "I am, but it's not a specialty people want to dip their toes into right away. Everyone wants to be a cardio or neurosurgeon. Trauma surgery is pretty important, you know. Emergency medicine is the front line. We get called into disaster sites. It's like a field trip, but… morbid."

The redhead smiled. "So you wouldn't try to sabotage my career if I wanted to specialize in Trauma?"

"No way. I'm not that type of person. I'm quite the opposite, actually. I'm a good guy."

Maybe _too good_ of a guy. George was friendly, busted out a funny joke occasionally and followed the rules. Somehow, that didn't necessarily make him a hot commodity with the ladies. His body wasn't built like his roommate's. He considered himself average. He was everything Jackson wasn't – friend zoned, the wingman and a source for gossip with his female friends. At least they never asked him to buy them tampons.

"And Jackson? Is he really a good guy?" April inquired. While Jackson's charm was very hard to resist, she was still skeptical about the sincerity of it. If someone could tell her the truth, it was his roommate. "I mean, he's probably had a lot of women fawning over him- not that I'm saying I think he sleeps around…"

"I get it. The eyes and pretty face tend to mess with your judgment. It happens to some guys too," George quipped. He could easily lie about Jackson's character in order to grow closer with his coworker, but he just wasn't that person. And he wasn't a backstabber. "Avery is good. People always jump to conclusions about him because he looks more like a model than a doctor, but he's more than that. He had a bunch of people wanting to room with him intern year and he picked _me_. I was never much of an athlete, but he didn't care. He wanted someone he could trust, and he thought that person was me. And I'm grateful. It meant I could move out of my parents' house. He's definitely not putting on an act for you."

April slowly nodded and smiled again. "Okay. Thanks, George. Trust is something I've had difficulty with as well, so it's nice to be around people who are honest," she acknowledged. "Anything else I should know about him?"

 _Besides the fact that Lexie Grey is his ex-girlfriend and already kind of hates you?_ George quietly thought for a moment, then he shook his head. "Not anything you can't find out from Jackson himself."

Their conversation was interrupted by Owen Hunt, the Chief of Trauma Surgery. "O'Malley, incoming trauma. And uh, new girl, I'll learn your name later, but meet me outside at the loading dock too," he ordered before rushing out of the room.

George exchanged an excited grin with April as they walked towards a shelf to grab some trauma gowns. "By the way, did I mention that Hunt was in the army?" he added, continuing to babble about his ER knowledge on their way to the exit.

* * *

Jo carried her empty tray towards the pizza station in the cafeteria. She was about to grab the last slice of BBQ chicken when Alex stepped in front of her and swiped it for his own tray. "Seriously? I was craving for that all morning. The pizza station doesn't always have BBQ chicken!" All that was left was plain cheese after her coworker also grabbed the last pepperoni slice. "Take the whole damn table, why don't you?"

"Snooze you lose," Alex teasingly replied.

She grabbed a slice of cheese pizza and a pre-packed salad before following him to the cashier line. "No offense, or maybe I _do_ want you to take offense, but you're kind of a dick."

"I've heard that before," he nonchalantly answered, stuffing half of his first slice of pizza into his mouth.

"And you're a pig," Jo added, her face distorting into a disgusted expression while she watched him eat. The sauce on his chin was enough to almost make her lose her appetite. "You were one of those guys in college, weren't you?"

"Which one?"

Jo smirked. "The idiotic frat boy who thought it was badass to jump off of the roof and into the pool during some insane party."

"We didn't have a pool," he casually stated, then he chuckled at her unimpressed expression. "I never joined a frat during my undergrad years. I was too focused on wrestling for Iowa. Nice guess, though, Josephine."

"I told you not to call me that," she groaned.

Alex placed his empty plate underneath his other slice of pizza before approaching the cashier. "Just this slice, the fries and the O.J."

Jo's mouth dropped open as Alex partially paid for his lunch. She pointed at his tray. "Excuse me, but he-"

"She ate one of her slices in line," he accusingly said, nodding his head towards the brunette.

The cashier furrowed her brow at Jo after Alex walked away with his lunch. Jo pursed her lips, trying her hardest not to suddenly erupt and make a scene. Not only was he a nuisance but he was also a conniving liar. She paid for her lunch – extra slice included – and approached his table where he sat alone. Setting her tray beside his, she silently stared him down until he finally glanced up at her.

Alex stopped chewing halfway through his second bite. "You can sit."

"Maybe I don't want to," she cheekily replied, folding her arms.

"Suit yourself," he muttered, shrugging his shoulders and eating his food again.

Jo considered herself to be a fairly patient person under certain circumstances, but Alex really tested her limits. Even Jackson and his flirtations didn't drive her this crazy. She pulled out a chair and sat down beside him. "Fine." Picking up her pizza slice, she took a large bite and obnoxiously chewed with her mouth open. "Enjoying your lunch now?"

Alex snickered after Jo grabbed some of his fries and stuffed them into her mouth. "I may be a pig, but I don't eat like a freaking cow." He pointed at the noticeable tomato sauce stain on her lab coat. "Have fun getting that out."

She looked down at lab coat and mumbled with a mouthful of food, "Oh, crap!"

Lexie entered the cafeteria just as Jo rushed past her to use the restroom. She briefly glanced over her shoulder at her friend with curiosity before she found her sister and Cristina having lunch together at one of the tables. Although it was a longshot, she hoped the cardiothoracic surgeon would spill the beans on April. For a minute, she wanted to be, as George called it, the Yang Whisperer.

The brunette took a seat across from the two attendings, giving them adequate space between them. Both women stopped their current conversation and slowly looked at Lexie in unison. "Hi!" she cheerfully greeted them.

"Do you need something?" Meredith asked in annoyance.

"Sort of, yes," Lexie folded her hands on top of the table and looked at Cristina. "What's wrong with April Kepner? Why is she so perfect? Did the neurosurgeons at Mayo like her?"

Cristina sighed. "You're asking too many questions at once, Little Grey, and I'm not interested in answering any of them." She dismissively waved her hand at her. "Shoo."

"But why are you nice to her and nobody else? Well, besides Meredith."

"Because she's currently not being a pain in my ass like you are right now," Cristina bluntly answered, eliciting a chuckle from Meredith. "Now, go away before I lose my appetite."

Lexie softly groaned as she pushed herself up onto her feet. She spotted Alex at his table and decided to pay him a visit. Despite the fact that she wasn't entirely impressed by his demeanor, she figured he might be easier to crack than Yang. Taking Jo's seat, she sat down and folded her arms. "Tell me everything you know about April."

Alex swallowed his last bite, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "No," he responded without bothering to make eye contact with her.

"I'll tell you something about Jackson," she offered.

"Like what? That you two dated?" He laughed at her baffled facial expression. "Dude, you made it obvious when Avery introduced April to you guys. You might as well have peed on him to let her know you claimed him first."

"Well, that was during medical school. Totally irrelevant," Lexie said, rolling her eyes. "At least tell me her connection with Yang. It's impossible to get through to that woman."

Alex glanced over at Cristina's table. "Just some Mayo loyalty, that's all. Here, watch this. Hey, Yang! How's it goin'?" The cardiothoracic fellow ignored him as she continued her conversation with Meredith. He grinned at Lexie, who blankly stared at him. "That's normal for her. If I really get under her skin, she calls me Evil Spawn."

"I'm so impressed," she sarcastically replied. "Listen, I know things about Jackson that other people don't."

"So do I, but you're not getting it out of me." Alex picked up his tray before he stood up. "And I bet he doesn't want you finding out either. Even if he digs April, he won't tell her crap. Neither will I." He walked away from his table, throwing his trash away and setting his tray on top of the garbage can on his way out of the cafeteria.

Whatever information Lexie knew about Jackson didn't compare to what Alex kept bottled inside. He was positive she would see him as an entirely different person if she found out.

* * *

Jackson jogged up an empty stairwell following the end of his shift. After a day in the peds ward, he wanted to get away from the area as quickly as possible. He lacked the patience to wait for the slow elevators to take him upstairs to the residents' locker room's floor. Opening the door leading into the hallway, he nearly collided with April as he stepped inside. "Whoa! Sorry about that."

"It's alright. Where's the fire?" she quipped after noticing he was breathing a little faster than normal.

"Oh, I was just getting some exercise in – by escaping the hellhole that is Peds." He softly laughed as the two of them walked side by side. "I don't hate kids or anything, but working down there just isn't my thing. Getting puked on four times a day? No, thank you."

April smirked back at him. "Well, that's something you may have to get used to if you plan on having children."

"But that's different. I would actually _like_ my kid," Jackson chuckled. He was relieved to have bumped into her. They hadn't seen each other all day since he was trapped in Peds while she was downstairs in the ER. "So… how was your day?"

"It was pretty exciting," she cheerfully answered. Although she wasn't involved in any major surgeries, the bizarre mishaps that led to patients being rushed to the ER were exciting enough for her. "A deli worker accidentally chopped three of his fingers off, a basketball coach swallowed his whistle, and a man high on drugs tripped and fell ass first onto his bong. As great as Mayo is, I've never seen anything like that over there."

"I'm jealous," he answered with a smile. April raised her eyebrow at him and he nodded. "No, really, I am. That all sounded more interesting than my day with sick kids… and their mothers."

April playfully rolled her eyes as they entered the locker room. "Peds isn't that bad."

While she began changing out of her lab coat and scrubs, Jackson leaned against his cubby and pulled out his cell phone. He didn't want to be rude by simply staring at her as she changed, not that the idea never crossed his mind, but he wanted to act casual. "Do you want to go get something to eat?" he asked, as he opened new text messages on his phone.

Her eyes peeked through the opening of her shirt just as she was about to pull it over her head. "That would be nice, but George already asked me," she politely replied.

"George?" he questioned, saying his name as if he had never heard of him before. Jackson knew that his roommate had a crush on April as well, but he never expected him to pull the trigger and ask her out first. He had always been rather intimidated to make the first move. "Oh. It's cool."

"He told me there's this really great sandwich shop on Pike, I think? I'm not very good with street names yet. I haven't been able to explore Seattle since I moved here," she admitted, putting on her jacket. "And he was so helpful in the ER today, so I thought I owed him a bit – even though he's the one taking me to this place. Rain check?"

Jackson's mood started to rise up again. To him, April wasn't treating it like a date, but more like a friend showing gratitude. He definitely needed to jump on that rain check offer. "Yeah, sure. What about Friday night? Or do you have the whole rest of the week reserved already?" he jokingly asked.

April giggled, grabbing her purse from her cubby. "No, I'm free. Just let me know what you have in mind. Goodnight, Jackson."

"Goodnight," he responded, grinning widely as she walked away.

Alex entered the locker room just as April stepped out. "Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting up with George. Don't worry about me. He'll take me home," she insisted, walking past him. "See you later!"

Alex softly laughed to himself, wondering if whatever April was doing with George was some sort of pity date. He knew her well enough that he wasn't her type. A bit too scrawny, even for someone petite like her. However, he couldn't help but feel slightly protective. He hardly knew O'Malley to begin with.

As much as he didn't want to approach Jackson about it, he decided to go for it. They had to talk sooner or later. He wasn't interested in playing by the pretty boy's unofficial ground rules. "Hey, that George guy. Is he cool? I won't have to rough him up if he tries anything with April?" he humorously asked.

Jackson faced his cubby while he changed out of his scrub pants. "No. He's a hell of a better person than you are, that's for sure."

"Dude, I'm trying to be nice here. Are you ever going to speak to me like a decent human being?" Alex agitatedly replied. He lost his patience when Jackson stayed silent, so he shoved his shoulder and the latter responded by slapping his hand away. "What are you gonna do? Hit me again?"

"I'll be glad to if you don't get the hell away from me," he said through gritted teeth.

Alex scowled at him. "When are you gonna man up and realize that none of this is my fault? How about you stop taking your crap out on me and deal with the real problem?" he exclaimed.

Lexie walked into the locker room and she was glad she arrived when she did. The two men were nose to nose arguing loudly and she sensed they would be using their fists to try to solve their issues. "Hey, stop it!" she yelled, rushing towards them. She stood in between Jackson and Alex to give them much needed space. "Whatever crap you guys have going on needs to stop now because this is getting ridiculous."

"Well, tell him to back off!" Jackson angrily stated.

"I can't do that when I have no idea what you two are fighting about!" the brunette replied in frustration. "Seriously, I can't handle a whole year of you two giving each other death stares and pounding your chests to prove who's tougher than the other. I'm positive I'm not the only one who feels this way. Sort it out already."

"It's not that simple, Lex."

"Nothing's ever simple with you, Jackson. Just tell me what's going on!"

Jackson snatched his jacket and work bag from his cubby before walking past his ex-girlfriend. "It's none of your damn business!" he shouted. He shot one last glare at Alex as he left the locker room.

Lexie frowned, sitting down on the bench and shaking her head. She watched Alex storm across the room towards his own cubby and furrowed her brow. "Did you two pull off some law breaking activity that he doesn't want anybody finding out about?" she inquisitively asked. "Like if the truth comes out, he could lose his job?"

"What? No," Alex scoffed, looking over his shoulder at her. "Like he said, it's none of your freaking business."

"You two are impossible to deal with," she complained. "And I dated Jackson for three and a half years."

"So you dated a liar for three and a half years," he bluntly answered, removing his scrub top. "That must make you feel like crap, huh?"

Lexie felt nauseous. She thought she knew Jackson inside and out. They have been friends for over six years, and she found herself believing Alex's claim even though she didn't want to. "Yeah. It does."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think please! :)**


	4. Bad Timing

**Thanks for the reviews! Someone asked what my tumblr is and it's kepnerrrd :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jo stood by the coffee cart in the main lobby while she waited for her order to be made. She leaned against the counter with her elbows supporting her weight as her eyelids slowly began to close. A nudge against her hip instantly woke her up. Lexie stood beside her friend with a grin on her face. "Tired?"

"Tired would be an understatement," the sleepy brunette answered through a yawn. After she received her coffee, the two women walked towards the nearest elevator. "The cat was sick. Took her to the vet, but she kept throwing up in the middle of the night, so I spent those hours cleaning up after her."

"And that's why I don't have a pet. You need all the energy you can get for surgeries." Lexie pressed the up button and they waited for an elevator to arrive. "So Jackson's birthday is coming up in a few weeks. I want to throw him a surprise party at my house. Want to help? I'm going to ask George too since we're his closest friends."

"Yeah, sure. But maybe you should bring this up when I'm not feeling like a zombie," Jo murmured, sipping her coffee. When an elevator arrived they stepped inside to go upstairs to the fifth floor. As the doors were about to close, a hand caught it in between and forced it open. Alex joined them, along with April. "Great. Just who I needed to see first thing in the morning. Oh, and hey, April."

Alex scoffed as he moved to the back of the elevator car. April stayed closer to the front while she made small chat with Jo. He noticed Lexie staring at him and he slightly furrowed his brow. Two days passed since she had walked in on him and Jackson arguing, but she hadn't brought it up. He never told his roommate about the incident because he knew she would bombard him with numerous questions. It was like it never happened, but Lexie's stare made him uncomfortable.

"What?" he mumbled.

"Nothing," Lexie politely replied, glancing down at her shoes. Even though she wasn't talking about it to anybody, the tension between Alex and Jackson continued to bother her. She and her ex-boyfriend were barely talking, and she wasn't sure how to approach him now. She viewed him as a different person, despite not knowing what he was hiding from her. "Are you ever in a good mood?"

"Are you ever not nosy?" Alex rebuked.

Jo let out a sigh of relief when the elevator arrived on the fifth floor. The less she listened to Alex speak, the less annoyed she felt. She rushed out of the elevator and into the locker room. Her coworkers trailed behind at a normal pace before they split up to go to their cubbies.

Jackson was already dressed in his scrubs and lab coat. Instead of reporting to his attending – it was Yang, so he was in no hurry to meet with her – he waited for April to arrive. He had planned where they were going for dinner and wanted to tell her before he reported for work. "Good morning, April."

"Good morning, Jackson," the redheaded woman happily greeted him.

He was completely mesmerized by how she always arrived at the hospital in a cheerful mood. Even 6 AM rounds didn't seem to faze her. "How are you always in a good mood in the morning?"

"I grew up on a farm. I'm used to waking up early. And my mother always says, 'Nobody likes to be around a grumpus in the morning,'" she enthusiastically replied as she changed into her scrubs.

"Grumpus," he chuckled. "First time I've heard that one."

April sheepishly grinned back at him. "She's a school teacher and uses these kinds of words to get the kids' attention. I guess she rubbed off on me while I was growing up."

"It's okay. I kind of like it," Jackson insisted with a smile. "Do you like sushi?"

"I do."

"Great, because I want to take you to my favorite Japanese restaurant tonight. They have all-you-can-eat sushi there and the fish is fresh. It's very good. I already made reservations. The place can get packed on Friday nights," he explained. "Is eight o'clock alright with you?"

"That's fine! Looking forward to it," April chirped. "Should we meet here after our shifts are over? Or in the lobby?"

"Here is good. Anyway, I better go. Yang will probably dump scut on me if I'm late." Jackson hung his stethoscope around his neck as he walked away from her. He couldn't wipe off the grin from his face even when he was inside of the elevator. He and April were going on a date – possibly unofficial. They never did confirm if it was a date or just two people having a casual dinner together. He preferred to call it a date.

His excitement was put on the back burner when he stepped out of the elevator only to be greeted by Cristina's scowl. He determined he was only a minute late, but that apparently didn't matter to the cardiothoracic surgeon.

"Avery, it's such unfortunate timing that you're my resident today," Cristina bluntly greeted him. She started walking down a hallway, signaling Jackson to follow her. "You're aware of John Newton's condition, right?"

"Yes. Restrictive cardiomyopathy. He only has months to live if he can't get a new heart."

"Well, we have a heart for him – in San Francisco," she stated. "Altman trusts me enough to continue to be in charge of this case. Also, she obviously knows how amazing I am. Anyway, we're leaving in ten minutes to get that heart."

Jackson raised both of his eyebrows. "We?" This was the first heart transplant of his career and he was stoked. However, he didn't want to show just how eager he was in front of Cristina. "You mean, I'm going too?"

"No, you're only going to the airport. Of course you're going," she irritably replied, rolling her eyes. "Altman told me to take a resident with me, and since you're on my service, I don't have much of a choice. I'm stuck with you for today. By the way, you're not touching the heart."

"And I was so looking forward to that," he sarcastically answered. Not surprising at all that he wouldn't be touching the patient or the heart, but now that he had two things to be excited about, even Cristina's rude demeanor couldn't ruin his day.

* * *

Alex waited by a nurses' station for his first neurosurgery rotation at Seattle Grace. It wasn't his preferred specialty. In fact, he hadn't decided on what type of surgeon he wanted to be yet. Plastics would solely be for the higher than average salary. He couldn't see himself becoming a pediatric surgeon. Children in general annoyed the crap out of him. And after meeting Arizona Robbins, he definitely refused to join the Heelys Club. There was still a lot of time to decide, though.

He was joined by George, who stood beside him. "This is your first time meeting Derek Shepherd, right?"

"Yeah, but whatever," Alex muttered. "Neuro's not really my thing."

"Lexie's already whining because she's with Sloan in Plastics," George amusingly replied. "I'd rather much be downstairs in the pit for incoming traumas. April was lucky enough to be with Hunt today. I think he likes her company. She already memorized the protocols and helps keep the ER organized-"

"Dude, why are you still talking?" he interrupted with a scowl. "You're not complaining because you're into trauma. You just want to follow around Kepner like a puppy. It's pathetic, to be honest."

George slightly furrowed his brow, stuffing his hands inside of his lab coat pockets. "She seems to enjoy being around me."

"Not in the way you see it," Alex scoffed. To him, George was that guy he would give wedgies to in high school. He was certain he knew somebody exactly like his coworker and gave him wedgies in the boys' restroom. "You'll be friend zoned pretty soon."

The shorter man scratched the back of his neck. "Did you two… umm…"

Alex cackled. "Hell no. She tells me I stink all the time. We're just roommates, but I can trust her or whatever."

George let out a sigh of relief. He suspected Alex wouldn't be April's type, but he didn't think _he_ was her type either. "You think she's into Avery?" he inquisitively asked. Even though he sort of already knew the answer, some confirmation didn't hurt. "I mean, he's my roommate and he may be getting too hopeful…"

"I don't think. I _know_ she is," he insisted. "It's written all over her face without her having to say it. Sorry, dude, but she has a thing for pretty boys like Avery. She's surprisingly shallow."

"Oh. Well, April better be careful then. Lexie has a jealous side," George insinuated. And that wasn't a lie. Some women Jackson simply spoke to occasionally made her green with envy. He always wondered why they never just tried to date again. Neither of them had been seriously linked to anyone in over a year.

"April's a big girl. She can take care of herself," Alex dismissively replied. An older doctor in navy blue scrubs appeared from the opposite end of a hallway. He had beautiful, dark hair that most men would be jealous of. The third year resident scrunched his nose when the attending began to approach them. "Is that Shepherd?"

George nodded. "Yup. The female residents call him McDreamy."

The neurosurgeon stopped in front of the two men and extended his hand towards Alex. "You're the new guy, right? I'm Derek Shepherd. I'm in charge of the department."

"Yeah, Alex Karev." They shook hands, then Alex said, "When you get the chance you should give April Kepner a shot. She's very interested in neurosurgery."

"Oh, yeah? I'll make sure she's on my service next week," Derek intriguingly answered. "Anyway, follow me. We have a few patients to visit today."

George raised his eyebrow at Alex as they trailed behind Derek. "What was that about?"

"I want to see Lexie and April duke it out for neuro cases," Alex whispered with a smirk. He also wanted to see his girl succeed over the overachieving Grey. His roommate could thank him later for the recommendation.

* * *

Sitting in a seat all to himself on the private plane, Jackson quietly stared out the window at the clear, blue sky. It had been weeks since he saw any blue above Seattle. The recent forecasts had been rain, rain and more rain. Even though the flight would only take a couple of hours, he was bored out of his mind. He wished he had been more prepared like Yang, who was sitting on the opposite side practicing stitches on a banana. He wondered if she would allow him to eat it when she finished. It was almost lunch time and all the plane had were mini bags of peanuts. They weren't going to have time for lunch until after they retrieved the donor heart.

Jackson slowly glanced over at Cristina, debating whether or not to start a conversation with her. He fully expected it to last less than a minute, but perhaps it could last for two minutes if he brought up April. Clearing his throat, he sighed, "So…" He only received a small grunt from her. "You knew April at Mayo. What was she like?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she chuckled.

"As a matter of fact, I do." He softly grinned. "We… sort of have a date tonight."

"Then why are you asking me about Kepner? You can find out from her."

Jackson quickly shrugged. "Well, you did know her first. I'm sure you worked together at some point," he pointed out. "And you're kind to her, which is hard to believe considering you don't treat anybody else like a person."

Cristina set her instruments down and slightly turned her body to face Jackson. "April was a second year when I was a fifth year. We hardly interacted. Plus, I couldn't stand being around her perkiness for too long. The attendings loved her. She's Chief Resident material," she answered. "I'm sure she would've been crowned easily at Mayo. Here? She'll have to snatch it from Grey."

"Why did she leave? I mean, I can't say I'm not grateful she transferred into our program, but it's rare in the middle of residency," he probed. Lexie did have a point about the surprise transfers. It was difficult enough to be accepted into Seattle Grace as a graduating medical student. "You obviously know how good Mayo is."

She opened her mouth to answer, then she changed her mind and returned to working on her banana. "That's not something you should be asking me, Avery."

Jackson hadn't missed the hesitance in Cristina's response. She definitely knew April more than she admitted, yet she seemed like the type of person who would dish out private information about a colleague just because she could. "But you like her, right?"

"Sure, whatever." Cristina rolled her eyes before looking back at Jackson. "By the way, this whole procedure – getting the heart, flying back and performing the transplant – is going to take hours. We probably won't be finished by the time your so-called date is supposed to be happening. Of course, if this date is more important to you, then I can find a replacement when we return to Seattle."

Crap. He knew there would be a twist to his eventful day. He just wished he realized this sooner. Passing up a heart transplant surgery would be idiotic. His family would shame him for choosing a woman over a major surgery. April wasn't going anywhere. She would understand that they need to reschedule, though he hated having to cancel.

"No. I'm fully on board," he confidently replied.

"Good. Maybe you'll do more than suction now," Cristina answered with a smirk.

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay?" April nervously asked, carrying her lunch tray downstairs to the basement. Jo had invited her – and indirectly, Alex – to join her group for lunch in the tunnel. She genuinely liked the redheaded woman, despite the fact that she came with an annoying sidekick. "I don't think… I don't think Lexie likes me."

"What makes you say that?" Jo casually asked, acting clueless regarding the situation. She knew very well that Lexie wasn't April's biggest fan, though for petty reasons. For the first time, she thought her friend was actually feeling threatened by the new girl in more ways than one. "You two just haven't worked together yet. Give it some time."

The threesome entered the tunnel where George and Lexie were already eating on the gurney. Jo sat beside Lexie, while April sat next to Jo's other side. Alex noticed how awfully tight the space was, so he opted for an abandoned wheelchair over squeezing in next to George. It didn't take long for him to notice the awkward tension after Lexie dropped her conversation with the other man and remained quiet.

"So this is your secret society hideout? Color me unimpressed," Alex scoffed, stuffing his mouth with fries.

Jo lazily pointed her plastic fork at him. "Hey, I said you could come, but no talking."

Alex nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, then he added, "Apes, I put in a good word for you with Shepherd. He said he'll make sure you're on his service next week."

"He did?" April excitedly replied, her face lighting up.

" _He did?_ " Lexie reiterated, but with the opposite reaction of her coworker's. She furrowed her brow at Alex, who smirked back at her. If only looks could kill, she thought.

George cleared his throat hoping to clear the tension. "How about Joe's tonight? It's two-dollar pitchers," he suggested, slowly eying his friends. "And uh, you and Karev can come too, April."

"I would if I could, but I'm having dinner with Jackson tonight," April politely declined.

"As in a date?" Lexie curiously asked.

April softly laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if I can call it that. We're just starting to get to know each other and…" She paused. Based on her own experiences, not that she had many, dates were used in order to know more about the other person. Half the time, they didn't work out. "He doesn't ask women out just to be friends, does he?"

Lexie smiled to herself as she ate her lunch. "Is he taking you to his favorite Japanese restaurant?"

"Yes," she answered with raised eyebrows. "Oh, my gosh, it's a date."

George shook his head and smiled at April. "Don't worry about it. Avery isn't the type who expects you to put out on the first night," he assured her. It amused him that she was worried about going on a date with Jackson. Most women would simply pounce at the opportunity to date his roommate. But she was naïve enough to assume it was casual, and now she was overwhelmed and reluctant. "And he's a gentleman."

"How many dates have you two gone on?" Alex quipped. His joke at least made Lexie snort, so it wasn't a complete fail.

"Wait. Isn't Jackson working with Yang on that heart transplant today?" Lexie reverted the subject back to the date. "If my estimations are correct, he's in San Francisco right now getting that heart. It'll take about two hours to fly back to Seattle and that procedure will last at least four hours. Plus, there's post-ops that Yang will dump on him-"

"We get it. The date might have to be rescheduled," Jo intervened, rolling her eyes. If April wasn't so concerned about her so-called date, she probably would have noticed how much Lexie opposed it. "And it's not a big deal. I'm sure Jackson will let you know when he comes back."

April slowly nodded. "Yeah, okay. Umm…" She picked up her half-eaten lunch and slid off the gurney. "I just remembered that I have to check on something for Hunt. So, I'll see you guys later."

Lexie chuckled after April nearly ran through the door leading to the stairwell. "That girl is weird."

Alex scowled at the brunette. "Hey, shut up. You don't know anything about her." He gathered his lunch and left the basement, chasing down his roommate who was at the top of the stairs. "April, wait a minute."

The redhead turned around just as he caught up to her. "What?"

"What the hell was that? Those three are probably thinking you're freaking crazy now," he stated with a look of concern. "I mean, a date with Avery can't be the worst thing in the world. Even I can admit that."

"It's not him, Alex. It's _me_ ," she dejectedly answered. "I can't go on a date with him. If I go out with Jackson, then it means we have to talk about ourselves in order to get to know each other, and you know I can be… _too_ talkative. And I don't want to accidentally say something I'm not ready to talk about. You know I'm not ready to talk about-"

"Who says you have to? Stick with the basic information or whatever," Alex advised. "You're not required to give him your entire autobiography in one night. Ease into it. That deeper stuff doesn't even have to come until later."

April sighed, then she softly laughed. "You're giving me good advice?"

Alex playfully rolled his eyes. "Well, don't tell anyone I'm actually pretty good at it," he jokingly replied. "Anyway, think about it. I'm not saying you have to go out with Avery, but don't tease him either. Just be straightforward with him, and maybe give him a little emotional punch in the nuts for me."

She lightly nudged his shoulder. "As crass as you are sometimes, thank you."

"I'll accept that as a compliment. You wanna just finish lunch in the cafeteria?" Alex began walking up the stairs with April after she nodded. "So, I don't know if you've seen this Shepherd dude yet, but everyone's wetting their pants over his hair…"

Meanwhile at the bottom of the stairwell, Jo peered up as she inquiringly listened to the echoing voices until they disappeared into the hallway. She had planned on talking to April because she felt Lexie was unnecessarily condescending towards her. Although she didn't intend to eavesdrop on Alex and April's conversation, a part of her was intrigued for two different reasons. One, she thought maybe she misjudged Alex's character. And two, she wanted to know what April was hiding. She decided to keep what she overheard to herself and pretend she knew nothing on her way back to the tunnel.

* * *

April strolled through a hallway after being paged to go upstairs. She felt a grip on her wrist and suddenly, she was pulled into a supply closet. Just her luck, she didn't have her pepper spray with her at that moment, but she was quickly relieved to see Jackson inside. "Please, don't do that again," she gasped.

"Sorry," the pretty boy sheepishly replied. He had ten minutes to spare before he needed to prep for the heart transplant surgery. "I was the one who paged you."

"Okay, so… why are we in a supply closet?" she awkwardly asked.

"I… don't know," he murmured, scratching the top of his scrub cap covered head. "Anyway, I just wanted to briefly talk to you about tonight. I hate to do this, but we have to reschedule-"

"Yes, I know. I mean, it's almost four o'clock and it's a delicate surgery," April understandably said, gently biting down on her bottom lip. "And it's definitely a procedure that can't be rushed. It's okay, Jackson. Some other time."

Jackson blocked her path before she could leave. "Wait. We can still meet up at Joe's instead. O'Malley told me the rest of them will be hanging out there tonight, so why not have a drink together?" he offered and softly smiled. "It's not as great as the sushi I've been craving, but it's the best alternative for a last minute change in plans."

She knew he wasn't going to let her go without an answer he wanted, and she didn't want him running late for surgery. "Sure. We can do that."

"I'll meet you there, okay?" He opened the door and allowed her to walk into the hallway first. "I'll see you later."

"You will," April answered with a nod. She started walking back from the direction she came from and slightly frowned. Truthfully, she wanted to go home after her shift, change into her pajamas and curl up on the couch with a rom-com film. Despite the pep talk from Alex, it felt like the socially awkward girl from high school returned and talking to an attractive man made her uneasy.

But she still wasn't ready to explain her reasons to anybody.

* * *

Alex wasn't sure why he accepted George's invitation to join the group at Joe's. He hardly liked the guy, but he supposed he needed to stop giving them the impression that he was the anti-social type. And April was there, though she asked him to sit somewhere else to avoid killing the mood when Avery arrived. At least there were two-dollar pitchers and his own table in the corner where nobody would bother him.

He was munching on peanuts and drinking alone when he was greeted by a somewhat unexpected visitor. Jo sat down across from him in the booth and reached for the peanuts. "Do you need something?"

Jo cracked open a peanut with her fingers and popped it into her mouth. "Nope," she casually replied, sipping from her own beer mug afterward. "You look like you could use a buddy."

"No, I don't," he argued, furrowing his brow. "Did Lexie put you up to this?"

"Why would she-"

"Nevermind," Alex dismissed. "But I won't accept your pity."

Jo forced herself to laugh. "Pity? You seriously can't deal with somebody sitting down with you because they want to?" she scoffed. "Listen, I can see through your tough guy exterior. Deep inside, there's this cuddly Care Bear who wants out and you won't let it come out."

"Dude, whatever," he chuckled. "Are you a freaking shrink now?"

"No, but I did ace Psychology in college," she gloated. "I can read people pretty well."

"Oh, yeah?" Alex scanned their surroundings and his eyes stopped at an overweight man sitting alone while eating a burger. "How about him? What's his deal, Dr. Wilson?"

Jo placed her elbow on top of the table, resting her chin against the palm of her hand. "Well… he looks like he's had a rough week at the office, and he's come here to deal with his feelings the best way that he can – through food," she analyzed. "But he's staring at the more than half-eaten burger as if he's making a mistake. All that grease is doing his heart no good, so he'll leave it unfinished and go home."

Alex eyed Jo suspiciously when the man did exactly what she said. "Okay, there's a difference between being a psychologist and a psychic. How the hell did you know he would guilt himself into leaving?"

The brunette playfully rolled her eyes and laughed. "Fine, fine. That guy shows up almost every week. It's predictable," she admitted. She smirked as her coworker shook his head. "Oh, lighten up. I had you there for a second."

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered, finishing the beer in his mug before pouring more. He held the pitcher towards Jo. "Refill?"

"Sure. Thanks," she obliged with a smile. "It's coming out. The Care Bear."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Shut up," he softly laughed, then he cleared his throat. "So should I be worried about Lexie?"

"In what context?" she inquired.

"She wouldn't try to sabotage April's shot with Neuro, right? I know she's really hardcore about it, and April, she's dealt with enough crap at Mayo-"

Jo raised her eyebrow. "What kind of crap? If you don't mind me asking."

Alex leaned forward, gesturing for her to do the same, so their faces were inches apart. "Between you and me?" he whispered. She nodded in agreement before he blurted out, "She prostituted herself to pay for some of her student loan debt."

Jo gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh, my gosh. April Kepner? _That_ April Kepner? How could she-" She paused when Alex chuckled as he sipped his beer. She groaned and folded her arms. "You ass. That's not funny."

"But _I_ had you there for a second," he teasingly responded. "Now, we're even."

"Not necessarily. You still owe me for that pizza you basically made me pay for in the cafeteria," she noted. A waiter stopped by to deliver buffalo wings Alex had ordered for dinner. Jo slid the basket towards her side of the table and picked up a wing. "Give me half and we'll call it even."

Alex pursed his lips as he watched Jo bite into one of his wings. "Okay, but there's no Care Bear in this body. Just wanted to throw that out there," he insisted.

On the opposite side of the bar, April sat at the counter with a glass of white wine. She was beginning to feel restless due to the end of a busy week at the hospital and waiting for Jackson to arrive felt like an eternity. Although she wanted to leave, she didn't want to be rude, but she was going to try to cut their meeting short.

Finally, the man of the hour walked through the door and spotted her immediately. Jackson approached the counter, taking the seat beside hers. "Hey," he said, sounding short of breath. Despite the fact that Seattle Grace was just across the street from the Emerald City Bar, he walked the short distance as fast as he could. He signaled to Joe for his order. "Whiskey, please."

April could see the exhaustion on his face. The bags underneath his eyes, the red partially taking over the bluish green she admired. She couldn't blame him, though. His day had been a lot busier than hers. "How was the surgery?" she politely asked.

"It went great, actually. We still have to wait and see if his body will reject the heart or not, but there weren't any complications during the surgery. Yang was amazing, but she already knew that," he explained, rolling his eyes during his last comment. "She chose to stay at the hospital for post-op work. I'm positive she was just sick of me and wanted me away from her as soon as possible."

"I bet you don't have that effect often," she chuckled.

"And I bet you don't either," Jackson flirted back. He received his glass of whiskey and smiled at Joe. "Thanks, man."

April nervously finished her wine and cleared her throat. All of a sudden, she could barely look him in the eye. He _really_ liked to flirt and it only made her flustered. "Okay, so, umm…" She stared down at the napkin that was trapped beneath her wine glass. "I'm not ready to date – anybody."

"Oh?" Jackson was clearly disappointed, but he sensed that something was bothering April since she was avoiding eye contact. "Did someone tell you something about me that they shouldn't have?"

"What? No! No, it's not like that," she panicked, looking up at him. "It's not you. I… I just moved here and I still don't really know anybody except Alex. And I'd really like to make some friends first. I'm actually not very good at that, so dating isn't my priority at the moment."

Jackson softly smiled. "Well, I want to be friends. Is that okay with you?"

April slowly nodded and returned the smile. "Yes, that's perfectly fine."

"You want a refill?" he asked, gently tapping his glass against hers.

"I'd like that. Thanks," she graciously replied. Perhaps he wasn't just a pretty face who enjoyed flirting after all, she thought. She internally told herself to trust her peers more, but that was easier said than done when she could barely trust herself.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think please :) There will be a tiny time jump next chapter (Jackson's birthday), but Jackson/Alex's connection will be revealed!**


	5. Surprise

**Thank you for the reviews! This chapter went longer than I had planned, but it covers some key stuff. Also, if you're waiting for the Jolex, I'm slowly building them up and they will have more focus in the upcoming chapters :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jackson strolled out of his apartment's bathroom clad only in a towel that was wrapped around his waist. It felt like a normal day for him. In fact, he wanted it to be like a normal day for him because this particular day wasn't one he cared to make a big deal about. He hoped to make it through the day without somebody saying…

"Hey, Avery. Happy Birthday, man!" George's voice caused Jackson to grimace as he passed the kitchen where his roommate was eating breakfast.

He slowly spun around on his heel, forcing a smile. "Thanks, O'Malley."

Birthdays stopped being important to Jackson after he turned 13 years old. It helped that his mother and grandfather made it feel less significant as each year passed. Except on his 16th birthday, Catherine Avery surprised him with a shiny new Mercedes. It didn't exactly make up for the days when he was home alone most nights because his mother was working late or away at conferences, but at least he had his own car to entertain himself and his friends. It took Lexie three years to figure out the date of his birthday because he had been tightlipped about it. If she hadn't intercepted a birthday card from his mother, she likely still wouldn't have known.

And there was nothing special about turning 28. Nobody threw special parties for that age. He wanted it to be a low key celebration – without actually celebrating his birthday.

"This was in our mailbox last night," George informed him, picking up a blue envelope from the counter. "It's from your mother."

"Probably just a lame birthday card that she sends every year since I left home," Jackson unenthusiastically said. He took the envelope from his roommate and ripped it open. Inside was a generic birthday card, one of those plain cards with cheesy gold writing that can be found at every Hallmark store. And written inside was the same message he read every year. "Nepotism is for the weak. I swear, she has copies of this card stashed in her office."

"But it's the thought that counts," George noted, trying to liven up the mood.

Jackson softly chuckled, carelessly tossing the card onto the counter. "She doesn't even call. That's how much thought she puts into it." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Do me a favor. Just don't mention my birthday at the hospital, okay?"

"Sure, no problem. Got any plans?"

"Not really. You want to do something? We can hit up some other bar instead of Joe's. We have the day off tomorrow anyway."

George scrunched his nose. "Can't. Night shift in the ER tonight. Sorry."

"No, it's fine." Jackson tapped his fingers against the countertop, then he smirked. "You think April will finally go out with me? It's been about three weeks since she told me she wasn't ready to. We've gotten to know each other fairly well, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask. After all, it's my birthday."

The other man snorted while eating his cereal. "So you don't want people knowing it's your birthday, but you'll pull the birthday card on April, so she can't reject a date with you?" He playfully pointed his spoon at the pretty boy. "That's genius. Kind of a contradiction, but it works."

Jackson slightly tilted his head, staring at his friend with concern. "I hope it doesn't bother you that I've been wanting to go out with her. I know you have a thing for her too-"

"It's okay, Avery. It's… well, it's easy to see that she's into you too." Although it was hard to accept initially, George eventually became content with being just another friend. He had been reluctant to listen to Alex, but the latter knew April better than anybody. It was a tough pill to swallow, yet he was glad to know that she considered him to be a friend. At least they could discuss _Harry Potter_ without any shame when the ER wasn't so busy. "We can all see it now."

"Really? Because I have a hard time reading her sometimes," he admitted. "April can crack a lot of jokes, but with her, I can't differentiate between joking and flirting. This has never happened to me before."

George laughed, rolling his eyes. "Maybe you're overthinking it. You want her to be into you, but you're afraid she may not be. You're playing mind games with yourself. Were you like this before you started dating Lexie?"

Jackson shook his head. "No, she was pretty straightforward with me. It was basically, 'Hey, wanna go out? Sure!'" he recalled with a laugh. "The flirtation game was spot on for the both of us."

"And April's more of the teasing type?"

"That's my problem. I don't know what type she is! She's driving me crazy."

"You mean a woman's left Jackson Avery bewildered? Someone alert the press," George quipped. "Just be yourself and don't try too hard. And… put some clothes on already. The glare from your abs is blinding."

Jackson snickered as he turned around and headed towards his bedroom. "Thanks for listening, O'Malley."

George waited until Jackson was in his bedroom to send a text message to Lexie. So far, her surprise party plans remained intact. Now, it was up to her to keep it that way.

* * *

"Are you coming to the surprise party tonight?" Jo turned her head to look at Alex and April as she strolled through a hospital hallway with them. She had helped Lexie organize the party, which would be taking place at Meredith's house where the younger Grey currently resided. "Because if you are, be at the house by 7:45. And park your car at least a block away, so Jackson doesn't suspect there's a party."

"I'll definitely be there," April excitedly said. "I love surprise parties. You never know what kind of reaction you'll get and that's the best part."

Jo chuckled. "Avery will be taken aback. He doesn't like people knowing it's his birthday. Lexie had to secretly spread the word and make sure nobody mentions it to his face," she explained. "I suppose he's not the celebratory type. What about you, Karev? You going?"

Alex quickly shrugged. He knew Jackson wouldn't appreciate his presence at his surprise party. His coworker could barely stand being in the same room with him in general. "Dude is gonna kick me out when he sees me, so who cares if I show up or not?"

"Were you even invited?"

"Lexie said, 'Fine, you can come,' so I'll consider that an invite. Whatever," he murmured. "But I probably shouldn't go. I don't want to be the reason that party turns to crap."

"Or maybe you should. It could be the one day Jackson's nice to you," April suggested. "Besides, we drove here together and we both can't drive the car to two separate locations."

Jo waved her hand towards the redhead. "Oh, it's okay. If he doesn't want to go, you can ride with me to Lexie's. It's no problem. Anyway, I could use an extra hand to help me with the food I'm picking up after work." She glanced back at Alex. "Not even a beer keg will lure you to the party?"

Alex cackled. "Beer keg? What is this? A frat party?"

"Says the guy who was doing keg stands during medical school," April scoffed, smirking at her roommate. "Let's face it, Jo. He's afraid of Jackson."

"What the hell? I'm not," he retorted. "I just don't want to get my ass kicked and everybody giving Avery a freaking pass because it's his birthday. And you know me being there isn't going to make things better."

Jo nodded in agreement with April. "You're right. He just admitted that he's afraid."

Alex rolled his eyes as the two women laughed at him together. They arrived at one of the nurses' stations where Jackson was standing nearby. "And speak of the devil."

Ignoring his comment, Jackson smiled at April and approached her. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" She quietly nodded before he led her into a nearby stairwell. He casually slipped his hands inside of his lab coat pockets. "Okay, so I normally don't like sharing this bit of information with anybody because I hate the attention, but it's my birthday today."

April pretended to be surprised, but she genuinely grinned back at Jackson. "Oh! Umm, so am I allowed to do the formal birthday greeting? Or do you hate that too?" she playfully asked.

"Well, I've got a better idea. How about we finally fulfill that rain check you promised me a while back? Remember you called rain check when you already had plans with George?" he reminded her. "And I was thinking, since we never did do sushi either, maybe tonight would be good? I can try to make reservations and I'll pay for everything. I'll spoil the both of us for my birthday. What do you say?"

April kept the smile on her face, yet she knew she had to reject his plan. It was definitely a date, and she really wanted to say yes – if there wasn't a surprise party she promised not to spoil. And she didn't like having to lie to his face on his birthday, but she felt she didn't have much of a choice. "I'd love to, but…" Her face slowly changed into a frown. "I already agreed to run the ER with George tonight. I'm so sorry, Jackson."

Even though Jackson had the urge to chase after his roommate and knock him out with a bedpan, he forced himself to smile and shook his head. "No, don't apologize. I guess I should've done some better planning ahead of time," he insisted. "That rain check will have to wait a bit longer then."

"Okay. Well, I'm on Altman's service today, so I should go ahead and meet with her." April opened the door leading into the hallway, then she sadly smiled back at Jackson. "But Happy Birthday, Jackson."

"Thanks." Standing alone in the stairwell after April left, Jackson sighed deeply. He realized disliking his own birthday had cost him a date. "I'm an idiot."

"Talking to yourself?" Lexie's voice caught his attention. She walked down the stairs from the floor above and stood beside her ex-boyfriend. "And if you want my opinion, you're not an idiot."

Jackson let out a muffled laugh. "Good to know, Lex."

He turned to leave the stairwell, but the brunette tugged on his arm. "Hey, what are you doing tonight?"

"Probably sit at home, watch whatever NBA game is on. Why?"

"Why don't you come over tonight? I can make us dinner and it'll be nice," Lexie offered. "Mer is working late, so we'd have the house all to ourselves. We can watch some of your stupid favorite movies that I'll never understand why you like them in the first place. Nobody should be alone on their birthday."

Jackson slowly shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I'm not in a birthday celebrating mood," he muttered. He was going to keep his reasons to himself. Talking about April to Lexie had created awkward tension between them.

"Please? I'll even throw in a dessert," she begged. " _Please_?"

"Alright, alright. You won me over with the dessert," he softly laughed. "What time should I come over?"

"Does eight o'clock sound good?"

"That's fine."

Lexie grinned widely. "Great! I'll see you tonight then." She quickly planted a kiss on Jackson's cheek. "See you tonight!" As she happily walked down the stairs, she waited until she was out of her coworker's view to send George a text message about the party. Her plan was working perfectly and she couldn't be more thrilled.

* * *

With a couple of hours to spare since finishing their shifts at the hospital, Lexie, George, Jo and April were busy setting up the living room for Jackson's surprise party. The latter two had picked up finger foods that Lexie had pre-ordered and a birthday cake from his favorite bakery. George had been in charge of the beverages, while Lexie decorated her house.

Jo and April entered the kitchen to store some of the food in the oven, so they wouldn't get too cold before any of the guests arrived. "This is a really nice house," the redhead stated as she opened the oven door for her coworker. "Meredith and Lexie are the only ones who live here?"

"Yeah. It used to be their parents' house. Their father remarried about five years ago and moved in with the wife, so he left the house for them," Jo explained. "He still lives in Seattle, but he and Mer don't seem to get along for some reason."

"What happened to their mother?"

The brunette closed the oven door, then she glanced back at the kitchen's swinging door hoping nobody would walk in on their conversation. "She died a few months after Lexie was born," she answered, lowering her voice. "Rumor has it she committed suicide. I'm not even sure Lexie knows what happened. Meredith apparently never talks about it to anybody."

"Oh, my gosh," April gasped. "That's terrible, if it's true. At least whatever happened doesn't seem to affect Lexie. She seems relatively normal. I mean, when she's not throwing daggers at me with her eyes."

"It's mostly because you've been on Derek Shepherd's service a lot lately and she's bitter about that," Jo insisted.

April softly laughed. "You don't have to lie to me. I know she and Jackson have history together. Her uncomfortable stares aren't simply because I'm interested in neurosurgery," she confessed, drawing a raised eyebrow from Jo. "Alex told me. He may not be an all-star roommate, but he does have a knack for being blunt and honest."

Jo felt slightly relieved that she no longer had to talk her way around Lexie and Jackson's dating history. It was obvious to her and their friends that Jackson and April shared a mutual attraction towards each other. Maybe that was why her coworker was reluctant to cross the friend zone with him. She was still fairly new and she didn't want to step on anybody's toes, especially an ex-girlfriend's.

Now, she began thinking about Alex and how protective he acted with April. That part of him continued to intrigue her. "So, Karev's really not coming later?"

"He says he isn't. Why?" April smirked back at her. "Do you _want_ him to come?"

"What? No, that's not why I'm- why are you asking me that? Does he talk about me or- or something?" Jo stammered, and she desperately wanted to be anywhere but in that kitchen while April mischievously grinned at her. She was supposed to be interrogating her friend, not the other way around.

April sat down on a nearby stool at the island counter. "He mentions you sometimes."

"That's it? You have to be more specific than that!" she playfully retorted.

"We don't have a gossip hour about you," the other woman laughed. "He said you're… cool."

"Cool?" Jo scrunched her nose. "Just cool?"

April quickly shrugged and smiled. "Take it from someone who's known Alex for almost seven years now. If he's actually looking at you like a person and not an easy lay, then he considers you a friend. And he slept around _a lot_ during medical school," she recalled, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "He was gross back then."

"What caused him to change?" she curiously asked.

Before April could open her mouth, Lexie entered the kitchen and interrupted the conversation. "Everything is all set out there. Thanks for coming earlier to help out," she happily said.

"You're welcome, Lexie," April politely replied. "How do you think Jackson will react?"

"He'll put on a fake smile. He hates surprise parties," Lexie chuckled. "But this is for his own good. He needs to stop acting like celebrating birthdays is overrated. Plus, I have an extra surprise for him. He's totally not going to expect it and I cannot wait to see the look on his face when he finds out."

"What is it?"

Lexie wagged her finger as she walked backwards towards the swinging door with a smug grin on her face. "That's a secret."

Jo waited until Lexie left the kitchen to blurt out, "Probably gonna propose to him in front of everybody." She snickered at the baffled expression on April's face. "Relax, it's a joke. Those two haven't been together since they graduated medical school."

"Why did they break up?" April questioned.

"Beats me. At first, I thought it was a mutual thing because they've been good friends this whole time, but actually, Lexie broke up with Jackson. Apparently, he never saw it coming either."

"Huh," April murmured to herself. "That's very interesting."

* * *

Jackson pulled into the driveway of the Grey residence feeling more lethargic than ever. It hadn't been the worst day of his life, but it could easily be a forgettable one in his mind. He didn't even get a chance to scrub in on any surgeries. All he had done on his birthday were post-ops. He blamed himself for having such an uneventful birthday since he hadn't planned anything until the last minute, which failed. Instead, he would be spending his evening with his ex-girlfriend as a last resort.

Standing in front of the door, he rang the doorbell and waited for Lexie to open the door for him. She appeared a minute later and opened the door. "Hey, glad you're here. The food's almost ready."

Jackson eyed Lexie's appearance. She had made herself up more than usual. Her fuchsia top and jeans were noticeably tight to show off her curves, her hair was slightly curled and she applied makeup on her face. "You look really nice, Lex."

"Thank you. So do you." Lexie grabbed a hold of Jackson's hand and pulled him inside. She led him towards the living room, which was dark inside. "Before we eat, I have something to show you."

The lights flickered on and Jackson slightly jumped back when his friends and coworkers shouted, "Surprise!"

He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of his friends standing in the living room. Surprise parties weren't his favorite, but after the disappointing day he had, he made an exception. "Wow. I… I don't know what to say."

"Just admit you totally didn't see this coming," George called out with a smile.

"Well, I can't say I did," his roommate laughed, scratching the back of his head. Jackson turned to face a beaming Lexie. "You did all of this, huh? You're probably the only person I know who loves surprise parties."

Lexie grinned and playfully shrugged her shoulders. "Guilty."

Just when he thought he couldn't be more surprised, a set of hands squeezed Jackson's shoulders from behind. "Happy Birthday, baby boy!"

Jackson's eyes widened as he slowly turned around. "Mom?" Despite feeling the urge to run out of the house, he remained frozen and he forced himself to smile at his mother. "You're… here."

Catherine Avery was a very busy woman for as long as Jackson could remember. She was a world class urologist at Mass Gen. The only special occasions she truly celebrated were Christmas and the annual Harper Avery Award event in May. His birthday was never much of a priority after his 10th birthday, so it hardly made sense to him that she would drop her loaded schedule for this particular birthday.

Then again, there were multiple reasons why Jackson chose to complete his residency on the opposite coast – and his mother was one of them. Even though they weren't exactly close, Catherine meddled with his personal life all the time. She wanted to know everything, from the amount of OR time he logged in to who he was currently dating. Since leaving Boston, he only chose to return if it was mandatory. He loved being away from his nosy mother.

"Look at you, sweetheart. You look skinny," Catherine commented, gently pinching her son's cheeks. She couldn't care less that his peers were standing only five feet away in the next room and snickering at the mother and son reunion.

"What are you doing here?" Jackson muttered.

"It's your birthday, baby. Why shouldn't I be here?" Catherine stood beside Lexie, placing her hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Lexie flew me in for your birthday. Isn't she the sweetest? I've always liked her. Now if only you would stop feeling embarrassed to have your mother in the same room as you."

Jackson awkwardly smiled as he glanced back at the party guests. Some of them had already moved on to eating and starting their own conversations. Others were staring due to their fascination that _the_ Catherine Avery was in Seattle. He knew many of them were dying to ask her questions, and that was probably a good thing, because he refused to spend the rest of the night with his mother shadowing him and probing into his personal life.

Lexie playfully nudged him with her elbow. "A thank you would be great."

He softly laughed, leaning in to give her a hug. "Thanks. I'm… definitely surprised." His eyes caught April standing by the refreshments and he immediately pulled away from his ex-girlfriend. "Excuse me for a second."

Lexie watched Jackson enter the living room only to feel dejected when she saw who he approached first. She snatched someone's beer bottle as he walked by and quickly gulped down half of it. Not exactly the "Thank you" she wanted.

The pretty boy slipped his hands inside of his pockets and grinned at April. "Hey. I thought something was off when I passed through the pit on my way out and didn't see you or O'Malley anywhere."

"Why were you passing through the ER?" April asked with a smirk. "Checking up on me?"

"Uh, I thought maybe you two would want some extra help. Night shifts can get crazy sometimes," he lied. His real intention was to ensure George wasn't trying to use the opportunity to make a move on her even though he implied he was backing off, but he was relieved to know that they weren't working together at all.

April giggled. "Well, I'm sorry I had to lie to you this morning. Lexie put in a lot of effort for this party and I didn't want to spoil it." She suddenly grimaced. "And I'm also sorry that I didn't get you a present."

"Don't be. I'm glad you're here," Jackson softly answered, smiling down at her.

"Do you mind if I meet your mom? I'm not gonna lie, I was a little awestruck when she entered the house earlier. She performed a surgery at Mayo intern year, and I observed from the gallery. However, I never got the chance to meet her-"

"Go ahead, April. It's fine with me," he insisted. "Just don't bring up my name. Otherwise, she'll bombard you with a million questions about me and you really shouldn't have to answer them."

"Don't worry. I won't," April laughed before she walked past Jackson to speak with Catherine.

George joined Jackson's side and handed him a red cup filled with beer. "Drink up. The night is young."

"Thanks, O'Malley." Jackson sipped his drink, then he turned around to watch April converse with Catherine. "A part of me should've stopped her from talking to my mother. If she ends up liking April, they'll be talking for hours."

"But that's good, right? You said she hated a lot of the women you dated except for Lexie."

"Yeah, but… I want some time alone with April without my mother hovering nearby. I can't let her know that I'm into someone who isn't Lexie yet." Jackson took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm doing it tonight, George. I'm kissing April when I get the chance."

George raised an eyebrow at his roommate. "You're not waiting until you two go on a date first?"

Normally, Jackson wasn't the type to kiss a woman before dating her. Although, it had happened in the past, but he hadn't been sober, so he didn't think they counted. He had gotten to know April and vice versa in the last few weeks. They were comfortable around each other, and he couldn't wait any longer for a date to happen. He was ready to make a pivotal move in their friendship.

"It's my birthday," he determinedly stated. "I'm doing it."

* * *

The party had been moving smoothly for about two hours. Jackson felt grateful that there were enough people intrigued by Catherine Avery's presence. He was free to do what he wanted, while she was occupied with answering his coworkers' questions. However, April was one of those coworkers and he desperately wanted to lure her away from his mother – without Catherine noticing him from a foot away. He forced himself to keep his distance and hoped April would eventually run out of questions to ask.

A small group was gathered around Catherine in the farthest corner of the living room. It always amazed Jackson how people bowed down to his mother. She was a great surgeon, but from his point of view, she was just his mother.

And very annoying.

Jackson served himself to some chips and salsa, then he felt a light tug on his arm. "Jackson," Lexie whispered, taking his hand and guiding him out of the living room. "I need to talk to you."

They walked into the kitchen and it didn't take long for Jackson to notice that his ex-girlfriend was clearly drunk. She hit the hard liquor based on the smell of vodka on her. "Everything okay, Lex?" he asked concerned. "You want some water?"

"No, I'm good. I'm really good," she insisted, though her words were partially slurred. Lexie placed her hands against Jackson's chest and drunkenly smiled up at him. "What do you think of the party? Successful, right? It was my brilliant idea to secretly fly your mother in. I hope you're not upset about that."

"I'm not upset," he chuckled, grasping her waist to prevent her from falling over. "I just don't know why you needed her to be here for my birthday. Her yearly generic birthday cards are enough."

"I understand you find her to be a pain in the ass, but she's your _mom_ ," Lexie reminded him, drawing an invisible line down Jackson's chest with her finger. "And she was so grateful that I invited her. It's almost a miracle she still likes me after we broke up."

Jackson slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

Lexie pressed her body against his. "Why did we break up?" she murmured. "We weren't having problems."

"You tell me," he snickered. " _You_ broke up with me, remember? Or are you too drunk to remember?"

"Well, it was stupid of me. I mean, neither of us have been in serious relationships since we broke up, so maybe it's time we…" She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in closer, so her lips brushed against his. "…try again?"

Jackson held his breath, mainly due to Lexie's awful breath burning the inside of his nose. "You're drunk, Lex."

April pushed open the swinging door, startling Jackson. Lexie remained attached to him, giggling against his chest as the redhead quietly stared at the twosome from the doorway. "Oh! Umm, I came in here to get paper towels. Someone spilled their drink in the living room," she timidly said. "I'll… come back later."

Trying to avoid an uncomfortable encounter following an awkward scene, April rushed out of the kitchen and headed towards the front door. She was surprised to see Alex letting himself in, but she was also relieved to see him. "You decided to show up."

"Yeah, well… don't expect me to make my presence known," Alex scoffed, closing the door behind him. "Just wanted to see if the party blows, so I can assure myself I'm not missing anything special."

"It's your typical party, people getting drunk and… the usual," she replied, rolling her eyes. "But Jackson's mother, Catherine Avery, flew in from Boston and I had a wonderful conversation with her."

Alex's body tensed. That was a name that could easily make him piss his pants. "Catherine Avery? She's _here_?" He immediately turned around and headed towards the front door. "Shit. I have to go."

"What? Why?" April stepped in front of her roommate before he could leave. "Alex, what's the matter?"

"I'll explain later, but you have to get out of my way right now," he sternly answered.

April continued to block Alex's path. She knew he wouldn't physically move her out of the way, so she refused to budge. "No. Just tell me why the name Catherine Avery makes you want to run and hide," she demanded. "What's your problem with the Averys?"

"It's complicated, April. It's not something I can explain in a minute."

"Alex, please! Just stay and we can talk!"

"Yes. Stay, Alex," Catherine's voice alerted both Alex and April. She stood near the entrance of the living room with her arms folded and a devilish smirk. She slowly approached them, her high heels clanking against the hardwood floor. "How is Dalton, by the way?"

April eyed both of them curiously. "Umm… who is Dalton?"

Alex ignored the question and replied to Catherine through gritted teeth, "He's doing just fine."

"Still working at that miniscule private practice of his?" Catherine sneered.

"For your information, his practice has flourished since he created it. He's one of the best in Des Moines," Alex defended, scowling back at the older woman. "He certainly doesn't need a group full of cake eaters to tell him how to be a successful doctor."

Jackson returned from the kitchen, furrowing his brow at the sight of Alex and Catherine speaking to each other. He quickly joined them, stepping in front of his mother. "Karev, you need to leave," he ordered. "Unless, you're hoping for another black eye, why are you even here?"

"I was invited," Alex firmly stated. "I'm not just going to turn my back on family."

Jackson laughed to himself. "Family? You're not family," he dismissively replied. "Just because my deadbeat father left mine and raised you like you were his own, it doesn't mean we're family. We're not brothers. Hell, I won't even call us stepbrothers because we're _not_ family."

April's mouth dropped open. "W-wait. That's how you two know each other?" She noticed the rest of the party guests watching from the living room. Everybody's attention was on them. "Maybe… this isn't the best place to talk about this?"

"You're right. I'm leaving," Alex grumbled, forcing his way past April to open the door.

April flinched after her roommate slammed the door shut on his way out. She glanced back at Jackson, who remained furious about the altercation, and pointed over her shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she murmured before leaving the house to find Alex.

Jackson sighed loudly as he turned to face his peers. They all quickly avoided his stare and pretended they hadn't heard anything. Catherine slapped his chest with the back of her hand. "How could you not tell me that man was working with you in Seattle?" she chided. "How long has he been here?"

"He just transferred into Seattle Grace from Mayo a couple of months ago. I had no idea he was coming. I mean, how should I know anyway? I don't keep track of his ass," he argued. "I'm not his babysitter. Grandpa should've accepted him into Mass Gen since he's apparently Dad's pride and joy."

"You know damn well why Harper refused to accept Alex into our residency program," she noted. "Perhaps this is a reason for you to come home now. You're too distracted here. You'll never live up to your potential with Alex Karev working in the same hospital as you."

Jackson threw his arms up in frustration. "No! I chose Seattle to get away from Mass Gen and the Avery legacy. You and Grandpa are the reason why Dad bailed on us in the first place. He was never good enough in your eyes, and Grandpa pressured him to the point that he gave up and left," he angrily stated.

"That is enough, Jackson," Catherine sternly replied. "Your father couldn't handle the pressure, but that's not on us. He was a coward and you were better off without him. The man never bothered to send you a birthday card. Do you honestly believe he cared about you?"

"I'm done, Mom," he muttered, walking towards the door. "Lexie's in the bathroom puking. Tell her I went home early."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me about any of this?" April questioned Alex, who was leaning against the side of his car. "We've known each other since medical school. You've told me about your stepfather and how great he is. You couldn't mention the little known fact that he's an _Avery_? Did you assume I wouldn't understand?"

"Exactly! You wouldn't," Alex countered, kicking a small rock in front of him. "I had no idea about Jackson until high school. That's the truth. We've only encountered each other twice before I started working at Seattle Grace."

"Is that why you followed me here? To stalk your stepbrother or whatever he is to you? This had nothing to do with me?"

Alex shook his head. "It's not like that. I came here for two reasons – to watch your back and… yeah, because I knew Avery worked here. When I first interviewed for the transfer I saw his name on the OR board. I inquired a bit about him, so that gave me more reason to leave Mayo with you," he confessed. "I couldn't tell you the truth because then I'd have to tell you everything."

April took a seat on the hood of the car. She made herself comfortable, folding her arms to somewhat protect herself from the chilly air. "I have all night. Tell me now," she nonchalantly answered. "From the beginning. How did you meet Dalton Avery?"

He sighed in annoyance before sitting down beside his roommate. "I was four. My mom and I were actually living in her car. My real dad, he's uh… well, he was beating her and always high on heroin. She finally decided to do something about it. She packed up some of our things and we left in the middle of the night when he was out. We made it to Des Moines without him ever finding us. I don't think he even bothered," he explained. "It was a shitty winter. I got sick and my mom found this clinic hoping they'd help us out. The dude who owned it was new, and he was reluctant at first to help because she didn't have insurance. But he saw how sick I was, like I could've gotten pneumonia if I wasn't treated, and gave us medicine."

"And that doctor was Dalton," she murmured.

"Yeah. Anyway, after I got better, my mom decided to try to look for work. Dalton offered her a receptionist job at his clinic, so she took it. He let me hang around in a back room until I started school," he continued. "And he was cool. Showed me around the office, let me play with some of the instruments. Within the next year, he and my mom got hitched at the courthouse and we were a family. Got a kid sister when I was eight."

"So Jackson has a half-sister?"

Alex nodded. "Her name's Amber. He doesn't know about her."

"And how did you meet Jackson?" April inquired.

"High school basketball tournament. It's one of those tournaments where schools from different states compete during Christmas break. This one took place in New York," Alex described. "I guess his team was scouting my game and he saw Dalton there. We ended up playing each other and midway through the third quarter, Avery threw the ball at my face. Broke my nose. Dalton explained everything to me after it was all over. I wasn't pissed, but I wasn't thrilled about it either. Whatever. I sort of have a brother. I tried to reach out to him, but nothing worked."

"When was the second encounter?"

"Back when I was interviewing for residency spots during our last year of med school. I tried to get into Mass Gen knowing that was an Avery hotbed. We bumped into each other at a bar the night before my interview. Of course, he wanted nothing to do with me. He probably told his mom about me or whatever because I didn't even get to have my interview the next day," he bitterly said. "I was freaking blackballed. They cancelled my interview and wouldn't allow me to reschedule."

April rested her chin against Alex's shoulder and sighed. "Geez, Alex. I knew you were a complex person, but I had no idea you could be more complicated than what I already knew about you," she teasingly replied. "But thank you for telling me."

Alex softly chuckled. "Don't expect me to cry and become a total sap about this. You don't think I'm a creep or something now, right?"

"No, not at all." April smiled as she sat upright. "I appreciate you even more now – as my best friend."

"I hope you know this doesn't mean I'm gonna become a cleaner person at home," he quipped. She gently elbowed his side in response. "Alright, I'm getting out of here. You coming?"

"Yes. Let me just tell Jo that I'm leaving with you," she said, sliding off of the hood. "By the way, she was asking about you."

A smirk formed off the corner of Alex's mouth. "Oh, yeah? About me how?"

April slyly grinned as she walked back towards the house. "I'll tell you later," she answered, playfully sticking her tongue out at him. She returned to the house to retrieve her purse and to exchange goodbyes with her friends.

On her way out, she noticed somebody sitting on the porch swing at the far end of the porch. As she moved closer, she knew exactly who it was. "Jackson?" The redhead approached him and sat down beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm peachy," Jackson unenthusiastically replied, staring down at his shoes. "I meant to leave, but I saw you and Karev talking. I didn't want the extra attention, so I'm just waiting it out until you go."

"We don't have to talk about… any of that right now," April assured him. "But based on what I learned, you can't keep taking out your anger on Alex. I understand why you're upset, but he's innocent in all of this."

Jackson gazed up at April. "I can't look at him without thinking about how much I hate my father. The guy practically raised Karev like _he's_ his son, but he never took the time to make a phone call or send me a birthday card," he miserably responded. "I'm sorry. It's just hard for me."

"It's fine. You're allowed to be pissed – at your father."

He slowly nodded. "And I'm also sorry about Lexie-"

"We don't have to talk about that either," she softly chuckled, lightly chewing on her bottom lip.

"This party was a bust," Jackson mumbled.

April fidgeted with the strap of her purse. "Maybe not completely." Jackson opened his mouth to say something, but she gently grasped his face and kissed his lips. He eagerly responded as she deepened the kiss. After she pulled away, she pursed her lips and smiled. "Th-that wasn't planned. I, umm… I mean, I've wanted to…"

Jackson grinned, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Me too."

"Okay, I should go," she sheepishly replied, forcing herself to stand up. April adjusted her purse along her shoulder and cleared her throat. "I will see you at work. Happy Birthday, Jackson, and goodnight."

Jackson continued to smile like a child who received the ultimate birthday present. "Goodnight, April." He watched her walk away, letting out a chuckle when she looked back and shyly waved at him.

Not a bad way to end an almost completely disastrous night.

* * *

 **Now that the secret is out, let me know what you think please! :)**


	6. Playing Dodgeball

**Thank you for the reviews! The reception to this story has been great :) For my guest review re: Jo - I totally agree with you. I'm probably in the 5% who still likes Jo. I think she hasn't gotten the development she needs on the show, which is pretty frustrating. I think she could be a very interesting character because of her backstory pre-S12 finale, but it's hard for me to stay invested in Jolex on the show because the writers seem like they have no idea what to do with them.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The last time Jackson felt overjoyed to be reporting to work was his first day of residency. He had been an eager intern who was excited to be thousands of miles away from Boston and his family. Once the daily routine of being a surgical resident became familiar and comfortable, he treated each new work day like it was an ordinary day. But now, he had a different reason – more like two reasons – to be returning to work after, what he thought was, the slowest weekend ever.

Following his birthday, Jackson was forced to entertain Catherine until she returned to Boston. She had even made arrangements for him to have the next few days off, so she could spend quality time with him. Of course, quality time to her meant interrogating him about Alex Karev's presence and everything else she wanted to know about her baby boy since she last saw him. And in usual fashion, Jackson remained mostly tightlipped and spoiled her by taking her out to expensive restaurants instead.

Returning to work at the hospital had never sounded better in his mind. No meddling mother to shadow his every movement and act like a nuisance because she was allowed to be. The more important reason for him to be back at work, though, was a redheaded woman who had surprised him on his birthday.

The kiss had been unexpected, but very pleasant. His plan hadn't worked on his terms, yet he was pleased with how it eventually happened. The fact that April kissed him first was a very good sign. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to discuss the kiss due to Catherine's visit to Seattle. He couldn't even send a simple text message to George without his mother asking if he had a new woman in his life. It was best to keep his latest crush a secret from her.

Jackson entered the residents' locker room to change into his scrubs. The area didn't appear to be as full as it usually was in the early morning, but he brushed it off as he walked towards his cubby. One detail he did notice was April's street clothes were neatly folded in her cubby, which meant she was already working. He couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. They always greeted each other in the morning and engaged in friendly chatter before heading their separate ways. Today, she was surprisingly earlier than usual.

"You already missed her, if that's what you're wondering," Jo chimed in, approaching her friend while she wore her lab coat. "Don't go sniffing her clothes now because you're longing for her."

"Hey, I'm not going to complain since she kissed me," he boasted, throwing a smirk at her.

"What?" she gasped. "When?"

Jackson removed his t-shirt and set it inside of his cubby. "After I left my party," he answered with a grin. "We had a short talk and… she kissed me. It was nice. It was an awful night, but April made up for it unexpectedly."

Jo happily smiled, folding her arms. "Okay, so what? Are you two officially together or what?"

"That part I'm not sure yet," he murmured, furrowing his brow as he wore his scrub top. "We haven't been able to talk about any of it since it happened. I was stuck with my mother, so my weekend was busy and exhausting."

"So, umm… is it true?" she cautiously asked, changing the subject. "You and Karev are brothers?"

" _Step_ brothers, to be exact," Jackson corrected Jo. There was no point in denying it now. He was positive everybody at the party knew his secret thanks to Catherine. Her voice was loud enough to gain the attention of a packed stadium. There was little hope in preventing this unknown fact about him from becoming the latest hospital gossip. "Whatever. In my opinion, we're not anything."

Jo stared at him skeptically. "Alex can't be as bad as you think he is. I understand hurt feelings are involved, but-"

"Can we not talk about this right now?" Jackson irritably replied. "I just want to change into my scrubs and hopefully, run into April on my way down to the pit."

"Oh, you won't find her anytime soon," she nonchalantly stated. "You know that massive pileup on I-5 just outside of downtown? Hunt came in about fifteen minutes ago calling for residents to head over there with him to help triage victims. April went with him."

"You serious?" he groaned. The pileup had blocked all of the lanes heading northbound. A logging truck caused the accident after the logs it was carrying had gotten loose and spilled onto the roads. Drivers had attempted to swerve around them resulting in the enormous pileup. He had heard updates on the radio on the way to work and it sounded like an ugly scene. "Dammit. She could be out there for hours."

Jo playfully patted Jackson's shoulder and laughed. "Don't be sad, Avery. You'll get to kiss her again eventually."

He rolled his eyes and softly smiled. "Thank you for your encouragement."

Amelia Shepherd rushed into the locker room, alerting the residents. "We've got multiple incoming traumas from that pileup heading our way. The attendings could use as many hands as we can get," she announced and pointed at Jo. "Wilson, are you ready? No time for chit chat. We've gotta move now."

"Yes, I'm available!" Jo politely answered. She looked back at Jackson on her way out of the locker room. "See you down there, Avery."

Jo and a few other residents joined Amelia in the elevator to go downstairs to the ER. The area was already hectic with doctors and nurses scrambling to prepare empty beds for those who needed extra special attention. George was calmly explaining instructions to his coworkers after Hunt had left him in charge of the pit until he returned. The new arrivals were told to wear trauma gowns before reporting to George.

"O'Malley, where do you want me?" the brunette questioned while she tied the strings of her trauma gown behind her neck.

"Hang around by the beds until the ambulances arrive. Wait for instructions unless an attending requests your service," George instructed.

Jo followed orders and walked towards the hospital beds. She spotted Alex sitting alone on one of them and quickly approached him. "This place will be a madhouse soon," she noted, taking a seat beside him. "The perks of being a Level I Trauma Center."

Alex quickly shrugged. "Mayo was like that." A mischievous grin slowly formed on his face. "Heard you were asking about me last week."

"Umm, what?" she nervously chuckled. "What- what's that supposed to mean?"

"Look, it's alright if you want to ask me out or something," he teasingly replied, stretching his arms in front of his chest and cracking his knuckles. "Just no pizza. Your disgusting eating habits somewhat turned me off from that."

Jo scoffed. "First of all, I don't normally eat that way. I was mocking you," she defensively stated. "And secondly, never in a million years will I ask you out on a date. Your idea of a date is probably cheap tacos from a vendor with Band-Aids all over his fingers."

Alex laughed. "Dude, I resent that. I'm pretty freaking good at finding the best food trucks," he claimed, smirking back at her. "If I'm an expert at something, it's discovering food that won't kill you."

"Uh huh. Well, I've lived in Seattle for over two years now, so I'll be the judge of that," she countered. "Pick a place and I'll decide if your instincts are correct."

"Fine. You're on. Pick a time and I'll choose something."

"I will," she determinedly answered. Jo paused for a moment before she blurted out, "By the way, it's _not_ a date."

"Whatever you say, cat lady," Alex snickered, drawing a scowl from his coworker.

Jo rolled her eyes, then she casually inquired, "Now, this brotherhood between you and Avery…"

"Nice try, but no. We're not talking about that," he muttered.

"Dammit!" she groaned. "You two are impossible. I don't know everything, but the truth will come out eventually. It's best that I hear it directly from you before people start creating bizarre rumors and theories about you guys."

"Why do you need to know the truth so badly?"

"Because Jackson's my friend and you're… getting there," Jo reluctantly explained, sheepishly grinning at Alex. "Are you worried I'm going to sell your story to Dr. Phil or something?"

Alex shook his head. "No. I just think I've gotta clear some stuff up with Avery first," he reasoned. "As far as I know, my current reputation is the dude who stole the pretty boy's daddy – and who is maybe a stalker. Plus, this opening up crap, it's not something I do willingly."

Their conversation ended when Arizona Robbins waved them over towards the ER's loading dock. "Karev, Wilson. Come with me. We're getting a 5-year old who's in bad shape," she ordered.

Jo hopped off of the hospital bed and smiled at Alex. "Well, it looks like we're working together. Means I have more time to badger you about Avery," she lightheartedly said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm not easy to break," he warned her as he followed her outside.

* * *

"Gauze, gauze…" Jackson scrambled through a shelf inside of the supply closet searching for unused packages of gauze pads. He slammed his palm against the metal structure when his search came up empty. "Where the hell is the gauze!"

He felt a light tap on his shoulder and George stood behind him. "It's right above your head," he pointed out, reaching up for two different types of gauze. "You looking for the roll or non-adherent pad?"

Jackson sighed as he grabbed a stack of packaged non-adherent pads. "Thanks, man. I don't know what's wrong with me today." Actually, he knew exactly what was wrong, but he was embarrassed to tell his roommate the truth. "I was hoping Monday would start off a little less hectic."

"No, I get it. You miss April," George concluded, causing Jackson to be taken aback. "What? You want to talk about the kiss, but she's not here and it's killing you inside. I mean, the last person you had to kiss was your mother."

"When you put it that way, now I'm really annoyed at this pileup," he muttered, rolling his eyes. Jackson had told George about the kiss and his roommate was happy for him. He also forgot how well his friend could read him easily. "I spent three days with my mother. That's too many days in a row. I finally have the chance to see the woman I'm interested in at work and she's not here. Is it just me or is there some divine entity trying to tell me I'm not supposed to date April?"

"I'd call it paranoia," George quipped. "I think you're overthinking all of this again. Just relax, Avery. And if you're not busy, there's a patient at bed four who could use some stitches."

Jackson smirked on his way out of the supply closet. "That's actually my patient, but I was taking too long to find this damn gauze." He returned to his patient, a man with a large laceration on his forehead. "Alright, Mr. Thompson. Let's close up that cut."

First, he numbed the patient with a local anesthetic. Once the anesthesia kicked in, Jackson prepared a thread and needle. He was barely touching the patient when he heard a smug voice behind him groan. "Oh, no. You're already screwing up," Mark Sloan commented. He stood directly behind the third year resident with a grimace on his face. "You're coming in at the wrong angle. The end result will be hideous."

"I'm capable of completing simple stitches," he said through gritted teeth, forcing himself to smile at his patient. "I've done this before."

"Sir, how would you like to have minimal to zero scarring after your stitches are removed?" the plastic surgeon inquired. "I mean, your forehead – you've got a gorgeous forehead. It stands out easily. I'm sure when women look at your face you want them to stare into your eyes, not some ugly scar on your forehead."

The man briefly exchanged glances between Jackson and Mark, then he cleared his throat. "I would like to avoid having a scar, please."

Mark slyly grinned at Jackson, opening his glove covered hand for his needle and thread. The younger man pursed his lips, reluctantly handing him the tools before he stood up to allow the attending to take a seat. "Watch and learn, Avery. Maybe you'll learn to love Plastics after you see me work my magic," he arrogantly stated.

Jackson quietly watched his superior stitch his patient with an agitated expression on his face. He wondered if Sloan purposely gave him a hard time because he was an Avery. They were both East coast natives with the plastic surgeon hailing from New York. One would assume there would be some loyalty between them, but Mark seemed to act more strict with Jackson than with anybody else. Perhaps his friends were right. Mark Sloan was intimidated by his pretty looks, he thought.

After Mark finished stitching the patient, he waited for him to leave before giving Jackson a hard pat on the shoulder. "And that, my friend, is how you perform a clean stitch. I guarantee you he'll barely have a scar when I cut those babies off in a week."

"And if he does have a scar?"

"He won't," the older man confidently replied. "Anyway, I'm done here. Clean up the area for the next patient."

Jackson scowled at Mark as he walked away to tend to another patient – more like leech onto another resident and use his arrogance against them. He quickly cleaned and sanitized the hospital bed before dumping his trash into a biohazard bin. There were patients with minor injuries coming in and out of the pit by then. Some patients with major injuries were taken to trauma rooms or immediately upstairs to the next available OR. Ambulances would arrive to drop them off before returning to the accident scene to retrieve more pileup victims.

He sat by the beds for a few minutes, waiting for the next patient that required his service. Another ambulance arrived at the loading dock and Teddy Altman escorted a gurney into the ER. The sight was very peculiar because a resident was straddling the patient, apparently applying pressure onto his chest to prevent him from bleeding out.

Jackson shot up to his feet when he realized the resident was April. He couldn't help but smile a bit. She looked pretty badass as the gurney was pushed towards the elevator. He followed the group hoping to join the case. "Need any more hands?" he eagerly asked.

Teddy glanced back at him as she entered the elevator. "We're good, Avery, but thanks. Actually, if you're not too busy, could you cover my post-ops for the day?" she requested.

"Sure. No problem," he dejectedly replied as the elevator doors closed. Gripping the stethoscope around his neck tightly with both hands, Jackson bit the inside of his cheek. So far, that was the closest contact he had with April since his party and she didn't even notice him, which was understandable to him, yet also frustrating.

* * *

"Okay, the bleeding is under control. He's stable for now," Teddy announced, her hands inside of the patient's chest. She eyed April, who stood across from her on the opposite side of the OR table as her assistant. "Nice work, Kepner. You prevented him from bleeding out."

"Thank you, Dr. Altman." April smiled from behind her surgical mask. Working outside of the hospital in a disaster zone had been exhilarating for her. Not because of the amount of injuries and casualties that occurred due to the pileup but she never felt such a rush of adrenaline before. She was required to make crucial decisions within seconds, and she hadn't been told who she could and couldn't help. And after her hands protected a man's open chest, she was still on a surgical high. "Glad I could be of use on your service."

Owen entered the OR holding a surgical mask in front of his face. He stood a few feet away from the operating table. "The accident site is still a mess, but we were able to transfer all of the injured back here," he informed them. "The few who are deceased, their families will be informed when they arrive."

"Thanks, Hunt," Teddy replied, her eyes focused on her patient. "I was just telling Kepner about the fine job she did with this one."

"Actually, I came in here to say the same thing. Kepner, you were amazing out there in the field. You kept your composure, you made smart decisions and your leadership was impressive," he complimented. "I'd like to see you working in the pit more often with O'Malley. I think you two would make a great team."

April couldn't help but grin, despite not making eye contact with the trauma surgeon. "Thank you, Dr. Hunt," she chirped.

"Anyway, carry on," Owen stated before leaving the OR.

Teddy eyed the redhead, smirking back at her behind her surgical mask. "You should definitely take what Hunt said to heart. He doesn't allow just anybody to control the emergency room on his watch. Sounds like you made quite the impression on him," she insisted. "Have you considered trauma surgery at all?"

Neurosurgery had always intrigued April for a variety of reasons. She enjoyed the idea of figuring out what was happening inside of a person's brain. Some neurosurgeons were treated like gods. Derek Shepherd came to mind. She was certain he had his own official fan club. But trauma surgery, she had never genuinely thought about the specialty until now. It wasn't as clean and precise as neurosurgery. In fact, it was messy and involved quick thinking to get the job done. She considered herself to be the opposite, the type who never colored outside of the lines in a coloring book and never stepped out of her comfort zone.

However, trauma surgery tested her comfort zone, yet she enjoyed that it pushed her to become better. Plus, running the ER required excellent organizational skills, which was one of her greatest strengths. The more she thought about it, the more the specialty seemed more fitting for her.

"I haven't, to be honest," she admitted. "But I may have to reconsider my options now."

* * *

Following a successful surgery with Robbins, Alex and Jo were in the scrub room cleaning up. Their patient suffered a fractured tibia as well as some internal injuries that needed tending to, but they were hopeful she would make a full recovery. Arizona had left the two residents behind to speak with the child's parents, giving Jo the opportunity to question her coworker again now that they had some downtime.

"Okay, so you're really not willing to tell me anything about you and Avery?" Jo playfully complained as she rinsed her forearms and hands. "Not even one detail?"

Alex scoffed. "It's not that interesting of a story. I only ran into him a couple of times prior to coming here."

"How old were you when his dad became yours?" she probed. "Did you know about Jackson growing up?"

"I met Dalton when I was four. I found out about Jackson in high school. I guess Dalton wanted to wait until I was old enough to tell me about his other life because it was complicated or whatever," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, he and my mom got a good thing going. He said he doesn't regret ditching the Avery life – whatever that is. Probably rich people parties and all of that snobby crap."

Jo softly laughed. "Well, he and Jackson are definitely related. You know he's not into that stuff either, right?"

"So that makes him less of a douche?" Alex chuckled.

"All I'm saying is he's not the snob you might think he is. I enjoy giving him a hard time once in a while, but mainly because he makes it so easy," she explained. "And now that he has this thing with April, he'll be around a lot more. Both of you are just gonna have to deal with being in the same room from now on."

Alex finished washing up and dried his hands. "Hey, I've tried to reach out to him multiple times. I deserve some credit for that. It's up to him now," he insisted, then he left the scrub room.

He decided to see if there were any other interesting surgeries happening, so he could sit down and relax in the observation gallery. The OR board listed Altman's name, along with April's, so he walked to OR 2. He removed his baby blue scrub cap as he entered the gallery. Only a few residents were watching the surgery, one of them being Jackson. The pretty boy watched intently, occasionally checking the tablet sitting on his lap. He had finished his round of post-ops for Altman and was now using his spare time to watch her procedure.

Alex took a seat, giving him and Jackson space in between them. The latter side eyed him before reverting his eyes back to the operating table. "What do you want, Karev?" he mumbled.

"Checking on April," the other man murmured. "How's it going down there?"

"Patient's stable. April kept him from bleeding out. She arrived in the ER straddling the patient on the gurney," Jackson answered with a soft smile.

"Badass," Alex chuckled. "So… you two are official?"

"No. We haven't talked since my disaster of a birthday," Jackson bitterly stated, pursing his lips. As much as he wished he could ask Alex to leave, he remembered the last conversation he had with April and he didn't want to continue being that guy who irrationally stayed angry at the wrong person. "I'm sorry about my mother. I didn't know she would be there."

Alex glanced back at Jackson. "Nah, it's cool. Whatever, it wasn't that awful. At least people kind of know the truth, right?" He reached out his hand across the empty chair between them. "Look, we don't have to be best friends or anything, but can we drop the animosity?"

Jackson stared at Alex's open hand before he timidly grasped it. They shook hands and he hoped he wouldn't regret giving his coworker a chance. "Okay."

"April likes you. She hasn't had the best luck with dating, so if it doesn't work out, just… be nice about it," Alex advised, drawing a curious look from Jackson. "And if you hurt her, you're giving me permission to kick your ass."

"Umm, okay," Jackson muttered. "I do like her a lot. I just need to find the time to finally talk to her since I missed her this morning. She was already gone when I arrived."

Alex rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. "Yeah, she woke me up so damn early this morning," he groaned. "She was about to dump cold water on me if I didn't get out of bed. She _wanted_ to come in early today."

"Really? Was it because of that accident on I-5?"

"No. That happened _after_ we arrived. She only ever comes in earlier than she has to if she's avoiding someone. She's done it to me a bunch of times when we were at Mayo because I looked at her funny or something," he quipped. Jackson gazed back at him with raised eyebrows causing him to laugh. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Well, she kissed me," Jackson awkwardly replied.

"Oh." Alex stood up, stretching his arms over his head. He decided to leave to sneak in a quick nap before someone pages him. As he walked towards the exit, he stopped in the doorway and smirked at Jackson. "Dude, she's avoiding you."

Jackson slightly furrowed his brow as he returned his attention back to Teddy and April operating. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe Alex, but he did know April better than anybody else in that hospital. It didn't make sense to him because s _he_ kissed him first, and she certainly hadn't acted like she regretted it. Now, he was feeling very confused.

* * *

Jackson stepped out of an elevator after it arrived on the fifth floor. Despite the chaos that had occurred in the pit, he hadn't been inside of an OR all day. He grew bitter as the day passed because nobody needed him except for post-ops. He hoped the next day would help him feel like he was more than an intern.

On his way to the locker room, Lexie was on her way out after changing into her street clothes. The brunette's eyes immediately gazed down at the floor when they briefly made eye contact. "Uh, hey, Lex," he uncomfortably greeted her. Neither of them had spoken to each other since her drunken attempt to seduce him at his party. "I haven't seen you all day. Where have you been?"

"With Shepherd, operating on a patient with an open skull. It's been weeks since I've been on his service, so I jumped at the opportunity to join him," she quickly answered, slowly looking up at her ex-boyfriend. "It was touch and go, but he pulled through."

"That's good," Jackson politely replied, slipping his hands into his lab coat pockets. "Umm… thanks for that party. I don't think I actually told you that last week. It was fun… for the most part."

Lexie grimaced. "I'm not sure which I should be more embarrassed about – the fact that I came on to you drunk or that I thought it was wise to secretly invite your mother," she muttered. "Either way, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's alright," he insisted, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "It wasn't a complete disaster of a birthday."

"Okay, good. I'm relieved," she nervously laughed and pointed towards the elevator. "Anyway, I'm gonna go. I'll see you tomorrow, Jackson."

"Sure," Jackson murmured.

He watched Lexie leave feeling the awkwardness between them increase even more. She hadn't acted this way even after they had broken up. There was definitely more to her behavior than she was letting on, and he somewhat had an idea what it was. He simply didn't want her to feel even more uncomfortable about the fact that he wasn't interested in her romantically anymore.

Of course the woman he did have romantic feelings for was acting strange too. Fortunately, he found her inside of the locker room getting ready to leave as well.

April was already dressed out of her scrubs when she spotted Jackson entering the locker room. She grabbed her purse and attempted to make a quick exit, but he blocked the doorway to prevent her from leaving. "You're avoiding me," he bluntly stated. "I know what you're doing and I have no idea why you are. Just tell me, was it the kiss? Because if it was awful, I can kiss a lot better than that."

"I should be asking you that," the redhead softly laughed. "It's not you, Jackson."

"Please don't use the 'It's not you, it's me' cliché. We haven't even been on a date yet," he amusingly replied. Jackson approached April, forcing her to back up towards the center of the locker room. "What's the problem?"

"I… shouldn't have kissed you," she reluctantly answered, gently biting down on her bottom lip. He clearly didn't understand based on the puzzled expression on his face. "Well, I mean, you were upset about what happened between Alex and your mother and I made it about me. I-I kissed you because you brought up Lexie, and I walked in on you two-"

"Nothing happened, April," Jackson clarified. "She was drunk."

April quickly nodded. "Yes, I know, but even then I actually felt a little jealous," she admitted. "You two had a long relationship, and I thought maybe turning you down for dinner gave you the impression that I wasn't interested in dating you… and that you would give up on trying to ask me out. But your birthday shouldn't make you feel like crap and I thought the kiss would help…"

Jackson smirked as he listened to April ramble. Her insecurities were spilling out all at once. And he couldn't help but stare at her lips as her mouth moved to each word she spoke. He just wanted to kiss them again. Without giving it a second thought, he cupped her cheeks and kissed her. She eventually relaxed, her hands lightly grasping the lapels of his lab coat.

Now, she was feeling like an idiot for avoiding him all day.

Jackson pulled away with a smile on his face. He slid his hands down April's shoulders and arms, then he grabbed a hold of her hands. "I'm about ready to beg on my knees if you don't have dinner with me soon," he playfully stated, and she laughed in response. "I think we can still make it to sushi. Are you up for it?"

"Will you be going in your scrubs?" she teasingly asked.

Jackson glanced down at his baby blue attire and chuckled. "Right. Just give me a few minutes and we can go." He released April's hands and walked towards his cubby. He turned around and mischievously grinned back at her. "Don't pull a fast one and run out of here now."

April laughed as she sat down on the bench in front of their cubbies. "I'll be right here. I promise," she assured him. "No more running and hiding."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think, please :)**


	7. Testing the Waters

**Thank you for the reviews! :) Whether you're here for Japril or Jolex or both, I appreciate the feedback!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

April arrived at the ER to begin her shift with the trauma unit. Since Hunt recommended that she spend more time in the pit because she had impressed him immensely, she was placed on his service the following week. It was a morale boost for her. Although her interest in neurosurgery remained the same, she appreciated the fact that an attending already thought highly of her in the short amount of time she had been a resident at Seattle Grace. She felt like she belonged, especially now that she found some people she could call her friends.

And one she could even call her boyfriend.

She didn't want to get ahead of herself, but she and Jackson were officially dating for a week, which was only considered "serious dating" in Kindergarten. They agreed to take it slow, but they were exclusive. They had been on two dates so far and both times were enjoyable. The sushi restaurant he had bragged about for weeks lived up to the hype, and the casual dinner and movie date ended with a steamy goodnight kiss – that lasted for fifteen minutes.

April found different reasons to appreciate Jackson even more as each day passed. He was a gentleman on their dates, opening the doors for her and walking her to the front door of her apartment when he brought her home. He sent her silly text messages during work that made her laugh and sometimes blush. He was very sweet with her.

Their upgraded relationship was new and they weren't flaunting it in front of everybody. Jackson mostly didn't want the gossip spreading across the country to Boston where his mother would be calling him nonstop about the new woman in his life. April's reason wasn't necessarily about herself but because of another person in the hospital.

She was slightly caught off-guard when she found Lexie standing by the nurses' station. The brunette wasn't the biggest fan of working in the ER, so April wondered how she managed to land downstairs with her. She was one of the heavily favored, if not the most favored, third year residents after all.

"Good morning, Lexie," April cheerfully greeted her coworker. "I didn't know you were working the pit too."

"Neither did I," Lexie unenthusiastically replied. "I'm surprised you're not upstairs with Shepherd. I figured you would be since I'm obviously not on his service today. Seems lately it's either you or me."

April forced herself to continue smiling. Despite the fact that she knew she wasn't her colleague's biggest fan, she was going to try her best to build a bridge with her. "Oh, not today. Shepherd's with George."

"What?" the other woman exclaimed, startling April and the nurses nearby. She cleared her throat and calmly said, "George hates Neuro. I can't believe he never asked to switch with me."

"Well, younger Shepherd is in charge of who's on whose service as chief resident, and I'm sure she's trying to rotate us around…" April paused when she noticed Lexie's icy stare, then she nervously laughed. "…which I'm sure you've managed to manipulate in the past. I'm still fairly new. What do I know?"

"Anyway, who do we report to? Which resident did Hunt put in charge?" Lexie pursed her lips after the redhead sheepishly grinned at her. "Oh."

April scanned the area. "The pit isn't very busy right now, so we can just wait and see if any incoming traumas pop up," she suggested. "Or we could… we could check the supply closet and see if we need anything restocked."

Lexie rolled her eyes as April walked past her towards the supply closet. "Fun," she mumbled before following her.

* * *

Plastics was the last specialty Jo had in mind. None of her friends ever ended the day raving about working under Mark Sloan. Holding a scalpel was equivalent to winning the lottery. A resident had to be on the plastic surgeon's very good side to be that fortunate. So far, nobody below fifth year was that lucky. Also, there weren't any fifth year residents specializing in plastic surgery. The specialty hadn't been high on the hospital's radar until Sloan arrived from New York, but even his big name wasn't a draw. The problem was he didn't have much interest in teaching anybody.

Jo particularly hated working with Sloan because he could never get her name right. Even when she directed him to her name stitched on her lab coat, he still couldn't remember. She wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose or if he was truly that ignorant. Either way, the guy was an ass.

"Ah, Washington," Mark greeted Jo when he arrived at the burn unit where he had asked her to meet him.

"It's Wilson," she corrected him, pointing at her last name and drawing an invisible line underneath it. "See?"

"Same difference," he nonchalantly replied.

Jo slightly scowled at Mark. "No, my last name has less syllables and it doesn't share a name with the state we are currently in," she retorted. She decided she wasn't going to let him treat her like crap. Somebody needed to stand up to him and she wanted to be the first. "It's not Watson, Winston, Washington, or my personal favorite, Middleton. Seriously, where did that come from? It's _Wilson_."

"Okay, stop whining. There are too many of you to remember, not to mention I have my own endless list of patients to memorize as well," he argued, leading her down a hallway. "Chief Bailey told me I need to improve my teaching skills, so this is what we're gonna do. How big are your balls, Wilson?"

"Umm, what?" she muttered.

"Metaphorically," Mark impatiently answered. "Because what we're about to do is no joke and if you can't handle it, then I'm sending you on coffee runs instead. I don't actually enjoy teaching residents this particular technique. I've gotten idiotic fourth years who either cringe, almost gag or actually run out of the room to gag. Scares the patients and they don't need anybody making it worse for them."

Jo had a puzzled expression on her face. "What are we doing exactly?"

After entering a patient's room, both Mark and Jo stood by the doorway. Their patient's arms, legs and chest were severely burned, along with half of her face. "Dr. Wilson, this is Lisa. She was badly burned due to a grease fire in her home last night. About 70% of her body was burned, and today, we are going to debride her burns until we expose healthy tissue," he explained, smiling at the third year with his arms behind his back. "And it's not a pretty process. She's going to be in a lot of pain, so part of your job is to somehow help soothe her pain any way you can."

"So you mean I'll actually be doing this with you?" she inquired.

"Unless, you don't have the balls to."

"Oh, I definitely have the balls. They're huge. Probably bigger than yours," Jo eagerly replied.

Mark smugly grinned. "I highly doubt that," he answered with a wink. She scrunched her nose in response, then he leaned in close to her ear. "By the way, if I catch one grimace or even a tiny gag reflex, you're out of here. Understand?"

Jo quickly nodded. "Yes, sir," she confidently said. "Understood."

* * *

Lexie approached April, who was busy updating the electronic video board at the nurses' station. "Beds four and five have been discharged, and bed three needs a consult for his abdominal pain, so I paged my sister," she informed April. Her coworker squealed delightfully, catching her off-guard. "Okay, wow. Not the most thrilling news."

April giggled as she turned to face Lexie. "I'm sorry. This video board updates so fast at the touch of my finger. Still gets me excited just watching it," she chirped.

"You don't get out much, do you?" the brunette bluntly replied.

Before she could respond, a nurse calling out for Owen caught their attention. "Dr. Hunt, incoming trauma on the way."

Owen walked past the two residents, waving his arm towards them. "Kepner, Grey, let's get moving," he instructed. The threesome quickly wore trauma gowns and gloves before going outside to wait for the ambulance to arrive. "Traffic is moving pretty well in there. Nice job, Kepner."

"Thank you, Dr. Hunt," April happily answered.

When the ambulance arrived the back doors opened and a paramedic helped pull out the stretcher. "Steven Olsen, 24 years old. GSW to the fourth left intercostal space, no exit wound. He was touch and go on the way over here, but vitals are stable for now," the paramedic explained.

Owen escorted the gurney into the ER with his residents. "Alright, let's bring him to trauma room one. And page cardio," he instructed one of the nurses as they passed by the nurses' station. They began prepping their patient, hooking him up to machines to record his vitals. The trauma surgeon used a stethoscope to listen to his breathing. "I'm not hearing anything on the left side of his chest. What could this mean, you two?"

"It's possible the bullet hit an area in his heart and blood is filling up on that side of his chest," Lexie stated. "Since there's no exit wound, we would need to perform a thoracotomy to see where it is and how severe the damage is. Also, place a chest tube to flush out the excess blood."

It didn't take long for the monitor's siren to start wailing. "He's crashing!" April announced.

Owen glanced up at the monitor and looked back the redhead. "We can't wait for cardio to arrive. We need to crack his chest now," he insisted. "Kepner, have you cracked a chest before?"

"Once at Mayo," she timidly replied.

"I've done three," Lexie added.

"Then all the more reason for Kepner to get more experience. Go ahead, let's prep for an emergency thoracotomy ASAP," Owen ordered. He watched April move to the left side of their patient as she picked up a clean scalpel from the tray beside his bed. He then pushed open the door to find out if someone from Cardiothoracics was on their way. "Did you page for cardio? We need someone down here right now!"

April took a deep breath as she was ready to cut their patient. "Okay, I'm about to cut," she murmured to herself. She was taken aback when Lexie intervened, pushing her aside with her hip. The movement caused her to cut into her left index finger instead and she screamed in pain. "Oww! What the hell, Lexie?"

Lexie ignored her coworker as she quickly made an incision on the left side of the patient's chest. She hardly noticed the blood that quickly filled inside of April's glove. "It was an accident, sorry," she said, though she didn't sound very sympathetic about it.

Owen turned around to check on the two residents and immediately rushed towards April when he saw the blood dripping through the hole in her glove. "Kepner, what did you do?" he angrily questioned her.

"I was about to make an incision, then-"

"She was too slow," Lexie interrupted. "But it was an accident."

Cristina entered the trauma room as she tied the strings of her gown around her neck. "What do we have?" she asked, eying the patient. She noticed Owen was tending to April's cut. "What did I miss?"

"The patient has a GSW lodged into the fourth left intercostal space. He was crashing, so I performed an emergency thoracotomy," Lexie answered as Cristina stood beside her. "There's no exit wound, but I suspect the bullet may have hit the left ventricle."

"Uh, I'm going to take Kepner out of here and have her finger examined if you don't need me in here," Owen chimed in.

"I'll take it from here," Cristina insisted. She watched Owen leave the trauma room with April before she asked Lexie, "And what happened to her finger?"

Lexie softly laughed. "Oh, you know. She was hesitating with the thoracotomy, so I stepped in and did it myself," she casually answered. "He was crashing and she was taking her time. I had to do it."

Cristina eyed Lexie suspiciously. "I see. Well, I guess this means you're scrubbing in with me," she half-heartedly replied. She gently, but forcefully nudged the resident aside once they got a perfect view of the heart. "And I'll take it from here."

* * *

"Maybe we were all wrong about Sloan. He's actually an excellent teacher." Jo ate her lunch in the cafeteria with Jackson and George. They quietly listened to her brag about the work she was doing with Mark, though they were skeptical. Based on the unimpressed looks on their faces, it was as if she were speaking to them in another language. "I'm serious, you guys. It seems Chief Bailey got through to him."

"So no coffee runs at all?" Jackson asked curiously.

Jo proudly shook her head and smiled. "Nope. We spent all morning debriding one of his burn patients. After he showed me his technique, he allowed me to work on one arm while he did the other," she gloated, then she pointed at George's lasagna. "And it was like taking that apart, layer by layer, while our patient screamed in agony."

George slowly swallowed his food before he pushed his tray out in front of him. "Now, I'm finished eating," he replied with a disgusted expression on his face. "Not cool."

Jackson chuckled, then he asked, "Okay, so he never badgered you? Is he sick?"

"No, he just woke up and started to teach. I'm telling you, he's changed," Jo claimed.

Alex arrived at their table carrying his lunch tray. Instead of sitting down beside Jo, he remained standing by the empty chair eying Jackson. The latter silently stared back at him, like they were communicating telepathically. However, it seemed their wires were crossed because nobody was making a move.

George looked at Alex, then his eyes wandered towards Jackson. "This is the most awkward silent moment I've ever been in," he whispered to Jo, who softly laughed.

Jackson gestured towards the chair. "You can sit, Karev."

"Alright. Just checking to make sure I'm not intruding or whatever," Alex clarified, setting his tray on the table and taking a seat beside Jo. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, Jo seems to believe that Mark Sloan cares about teaching residents now," Jackson teasingly said. He received a scowl from his coworker. "What? It wasn't exactly surgery. You were in the burn unit."

"I've still done more work with Sloan than you, Avery," Jo retorted. She turned her head to face Alex. "These two are jealous because I got to be a doctor under Sloan's service. He taught me how to debride burns and I picked it up easily. He thought I couldn't hack it because nobody else has yet to, but I proved him very wrong."

"Oh, yeah?" Alex inquired, stuffing his mouth with fries.

Jo nodded and grinned. "And he couldn't stop throwing compliments at me. 'Keep up the good work, Wilson. You're doing a fine, fine job.' Stuff like that. He clearly thinks highly of me." She furrowed her brow when Alex snorted. "What now?"

Alex cleared his throat, then he mischievously smirked at the brunette. "Dude, he's trying to get into your pants."

"No, he's not!" she argued. Jackson scoffed causing her to groan. "He's not!"

"C'mon. Mark Sloan? Douche who has the poorest bedside manners?" he insinuated, nodding his head towards Jackson. "Avery knows what I'm talking about. No guy like Sloan becomes the prince of politeness overnight."

Jackson nodded in agreement. "He's right. I knew his behavior was too good to be true."

Jo rolled her eyes. "You guys are wrong. Bailey told him he needed to step up with his teaching and that's what he's doing," she defensively replied, folding her arms across her chest. She looked at George, who was the only person who hadn't ganged up on her. "O'Malley, what do you think?"

George barely made eye contact with her. "I have a feeling you might beat me up if I tell you what I think."

"Oh, my God! You three are just… stupid boys!" she agitatedly stated. "Sex is all you ever think about because you let your penises do the thinking for you. I'll prove you guys wrong. There is nothing sketchy about what Sloan is doing."

"Wait until your shift is over," Alex playfully responded. "He hits on the nurses all the time. I doubt he considers residents off-limits."

A few minutes later, April arrived at their table, but she didn't have any food with her. She was visibly upset as she sat down beside Jackson. "Your ex-girlfriend is a psycho," she sternly said, drying her eyes with the back of her right hand as she sniffled.

Her friends immediately noticed her bandaged left index finger. "What happened?" Jackson asked concerned, carefully grasping April's hand and examining her finger. "Did Lexie do this?"

While April was having her finger cleaned and stitched up, she debated in her head whether or not to rat out Lexie. It was obvious she had pushed her on purpose. She hadn't immediately told Owen the truth about what had happened. She wasn't sure if snitching on coworkers was frowned upon, which sounded ridiculous in her mind, but Lexie was the star resident in their class. Would they believe Lexie's word over hers?

Despite the recent praise she had received, she still felt she was at a disadvantage. From middle school until the end of high school, she had been that person who snitched on her peers if she caught them doing something wrong. She was the goody two shoes, the brown noser people loathed. Growing up, even her three sisters were annoyed by her. She tried her best to shed that reputation in college, but she was a rule follower and sometimes she needed to spoil someone else's fun to get ahead.

However, she dreaded Jackson's reaction. She didn't want to ruin his and Lexie's friendship, which existed long before any of them became surgical residents. She hated the idea of starting some unnecessary rivalry just because she was dating Lexie Grey's ex-boyfriend.

"We were in a trauma room with a patient, a GSW to the chest. He was crashing, so Owen asked me to crack his chest, and just as I was about to make my incision, Lexie bumps me aside and I cut my finger with the scalpel," April angrily explained. "It was a deep cut, but fortunately, there isn't damage to the tendon or anything. But I can't scrub in to any surgeries until the stitches heal, so I'm on scut for at least a week."

"Geez," George mumbled, shaking his head. He knew Lexie's jealousy was a bit much, but he never thought she would stoop this low to have her way. "Sorry, April. I mean, she's never really acted like this before. It's kind of bizarre."

"Hmm, not really," Jo disagreed with a grimace. "Remember intern year? That charity softball event we participated in, Lexie threw the ball at the doctor from Seattle Pres who was flirting with Jackson. Hit her right in the boob. She claimed that she thought she was stealing second base. That crazy jealousy has existed all along."

"Lexie is an incredibly competitive person. I'll agree that she takes it too far sometimes," George concurred.

April held her injured finger in front of George's face. "Ya think?" she sarcastically replied, and frowned as she set her hand on her lap. "You could've at least warned me she was like this. I did have a feeling she didn't like me, but I never imagined she would attempt to sabotage my career!"

"Where is she right now?" Jackson questioned, rubbing April's lower back.

"Probably in surgery with Yang. With the patient I was supposed to be treating," she bitterly answered.

"You want me to kick her ass when they're done?" Alex straightforwardly asked. Truthfully, he would never hit a woman, but nobody was allowed to mess with his roommate.

Jo lightly elbowed Alex and scowled at him. "Please, you doing it would be inexcusable," she noted, then she smiled back at April. "You want _me_ to kick her ass?"

Jackson dismissively waved his hand. "Nobody is kicking anybody's ass," he scolded them. Although he wasn't showing it, he was fuming. There were times when he brushed off Lexie's jealousy, but this time she had gone too far. He leaned in to kiss April's cheek. "I'll talk to her later, okay? She won't get away with this."

* * *

Cristina and Lexie walked out of the scrub room following the completion of their surgery. They stood in the hallway while the cardiothoracic fellow gave her instructions. "I'm going to talk to the family, and you can go… do something else productive," she lazily said. "I'll stay overnight and handle his post-op treatment."

"Thanks for letting me scrub in, Dr. Yang. I mean, I honestly thought I'd never be in the same OR as you, so thank you," Lexie gratefully replied.

"Yeah, whatever," Cristina mumbled, then she walked past the third year resident. She paused, slowly turning around on her heel. "One more thing, Little Grey." Lexie stared at her eagerly, likely hoping for a real compliment from her. "Kepner is very much capable of handling an emergency thoracotomy. I know because I talked her through one at Mayo, and she did just fine."

Lexie forced herself to chuckle. "I'm not sure where you're going with this."

"I understand your motives. You want to be the best and will do anything to reach the top. I've been in your shoes before, but never have I tried to ruin someone else's career to get there," Cristina insinuated. "I may not have seen what you did, but I'm not an idiot. Pull a stunt like that again and I'll report you to the Chief."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Yang!" Lexie called out to the Asian woman after she walked down the hallway. She simply rolled her eyes, removing her scrub cap as she headed towards the opposite direction. She rounded a corner and spotted Jackson approaching her. "Jackson, oh my gosh. I just finished a _cardio_ surgery, one you will probably be envious of."

Jackson kept a straight face, slightly furrowing his brow when they met halfway. "Heard about how you got that surgery in the first place." He pulled Lexie into the nearest supply closet, then he placed his hands on his hips. "In the past, I let your antics slide, but this time you've gone too far, Lex."

"I have no idea what you mean," she casually replied. "What are we talking about now?"

"Cut the crap, okay? I know what you did to April," he chided. "What the hell were you thinking? She could've done some serious damage to her finger! _You_ would've been responsible for ending her career if she couldn't do surgery anymore."

"Right, because April Kepner is oh so perfect, isn't she?" Lexie irritably responded. "Since she arrived it's like she walks on water to everybody. Even freaking Cristina Yang defends her and she has the heart of a dead person!"

Jackson threw his arms up in frustration. "She's new, Lexie! Aside from Karev, she didn't know anybody. She's been trying to be friends with you and all you've done is give her the cold shoulder. What is your problem with her?"

"There is something about her that she's not telling anybody. I know she's hiding something, Jackson," she speculated. "The signs are all there. Transferring in the middle of residency _with_ somebody who knows her well. Her social awkwardness, the fact that Yang is only nice to _her_ …"

"Wow. I never realized how incredibly paranoid you are," he replied in disbelief. "I mean, I honestly thought it had to do with me having feelings for April, but I realize now that's only half of the story. I think you can't handle the fact that someone might actually be better than you. Isn't that why you broke up with me in the first place? You would be more comfortable competing for surgeries if I was your ex instead of your boyfriend."

Lexie's mouth dropped open, then she quickly shook her head. "That's not it. That's not why I broke up with you."

Jackson folded his arms and sighed. "Then why did you?"

"Because we were together for almost four years, and towards the end of medical school, you were starting to discuss a more serious commitment between us. You brought up moving in together and you didn't have to say it, but I knew you were thinking about marriage. I wasn't ready for that," she admitted. "But every now and then I wonder if I made a mistake. Sometimes I can't help it when I see other women flirting with you. I know your mother still likes me, but I'm positive she thinks I'm also an idiot for breaking up with you."

"Well, that doesn't give you a free pass to treat my girlfriend like crap," he countered. "April and I are dating. It's something you're gonna have to accept. I want us to be friends, Lex, but I'm not sure I can trust you right now."

The brunette frowned. "C'mon, Jackson. I'm sorry."

Jackson opened the door and began to leave. He turned around to look at his ex-girlfriend. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," he reminded her before leaving the supply closet.

* * *

"Beautiful work, Wilson. It was a painful process for Lisa, but this will help her in the long run," Mark complimented as they exited the burn unit. He rubbed his palms together as they strolled through a hallway. "Perhaps I can have you on my service again tomorrow. Maybe I'll even give you a patient to work on by yourself."

Jo's face lit up. She had thoroughly enjoyed working in the burn unit, despite how grueling it was for her patient, and at times for herself. "Are you serious? That would be amazing!" she happily answered. "Working with you has been a pleasure, Dr. Sloan."

They stopped in front of a door, then Mark opened it. He nodded his head towards the empty on-call room. "Same goes for you. You know, I can teach you a few more things right now. Consider yourself a privileged resident under my service," he offered, winking at her. "A good job deserves a reward."

Her face suddenly dropped and she took a step back. "If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting…" She inhaled sharply and immediately scowled at the plastic surgeon. "For your information, I am _not_ that type of woman. Maybe some nurses and interns don't mind sleeping their way to the top, but you're not getting anything from me."

"Listen, I hate teaching residents," Mark bluntly said.

"Then why are you working at a teaching hospital?" she asked in annoyance.

"The paycheck was too hard to pass up," he chuckled. "And you're a looker. You're competent and attractive. You really should be flattered."

Jo pursed her lips, then she said, "Thanks, but no thanks. I was seriously hoping to be wrong about you, that you were actually trying to be a teacher for once. You're disgusting," she berated the plastic surgeon before angrily walking away.

She went upstairs to change out of her scrubs as quickly as possible. All she wanted to do was go home and pretend her successful day with Sloan hadn't happened at all. She also hated the fact that her male friends were right. She pictured them giving her a hard time about it as soon as they find out what had happened. Maybe George would go easy on her, but Jackson and Alex wouldn't hesitate to give her grief over it.

When she finished dressing into her street clothes, Jo skipped the elevator and used the stairs to leave the hospital faster. She hurriedly walked outside through the main lobby, letting out a sigh of relief afterwards. Alex was sitting on a bench speaking to someone on his cell phone, so she decided to approach him. She waited until he was finished with his call before she spoke.

"You were right. Sloan was being nice, so he can get laid," she blurted out, folding her arms. "You win. So, go ahead. Gloat about it. Throw it in my face that I'm a loser because my instincts were wrong. Get it over with now, so I can ignore you tomorrow."

Alex slowly stood up, while Jo impatiently waited for him to answer her. "You want me to kick his ass?" he proposed. There wasn't a joking tone in his question, and she appeared taken aback by his response. "I'm serious. I can go back in there and throw in a punch or two if you want. Dude's an asshole."

Jo took a deep breath and sighed. "No, it's okay. I just want to go home and snuggle with my cat or something," she dejectedly replied. "See you in the morning."

"Uh, wait a second." He gently grabbed a hold of her arm to stop her from leaving. "I was planning on going around the corner to the taco truck that's parked over there. You wanna come with me? My treat."

"No taco order limit? Don't get stingy on me, Karev," she replied with a smirk.

The twosome began walking to the taco truck together. "If you want twenty tacos, I'll buy you twenty tacos," he quipped. "But if you end up befriending a toilet tomorrow, I'm not taking any responsibility for that."

Jo playfully rolled her eyes. "You're kind of a moron."

Alex smugly grinned back at her. "But you decided to have dinner with me, so who's the real moron?" He received a slap on the shoulder as they continued walking. "Am I allowed to call you Josephine yet?"

Jo smiled as she shook her head. "Not even close. It's going to take more than buying me tacos, buddy."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think, please! :)**


	8. Solo

**Thank you for the reviews! I know people have issues with Lexie in this story, but on the show she wasn't particularly fond of April when she first arrived and they even spent an episode showing how annoyed she was by April. I just took that part of her and raised it up a notch, so I don't think Lexie being mean to April is OOC. And I actually adore Lexie. I've written her as a much nicer person in my other stories. This was just the exception. I promise her horrible attitude towards April won't last in this story :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

George stumbled into his apartment, his hands full with one hand carrying his fast food dinner and the other holding his keys and his backpack. Jackson and April were in the living room while a movie played on the TV. "Hey, guys. What are you watching?" he asked as he rounded the couch. His friends were unresponsive because they were occupied with each other's mouths. April was comfortably sitting on Jackson's lap as they made out like teenagers. "Or… not watching."

He set his belongings on the coffee table and plopped down onto the couch. His weight was enough to distract the couple from their makeout session. "Oh. Hi, George," April squeaked. She adjusted her position on Jackson's lap, sitting upright and wrapping an arm around his neck. "Sorry if we're disturbing you."

"Nope. It's fine as long as you keep your clothes on," he quipped. "Now I know why Avery was in a hurry to leave work tonight."

April chuckled as she gently ran her fingertips against the back of Jackson's shaved head. "But he made me the most delicious dinner," she complimented, giving him a quick kiss when he puckered up his lips to her. "Always a plus when a man can cook."

George unwrapped his burger and took a large bite. "Was it his famous chicken alfredo?" he mumbled with a mouthful of food.

"Yes! How did you know?" she laughed.

"Because Avery only knows how to cook one of two things from scratch – chicken alfredo and omelettes," he pointed out, to his roommate's dismay. "And I figured you two didn't have the latter for your romantic dinner."

Jackson sheepishly grinned at April, who giggled against his neck. "Well, then I'll have to come over for breakfast sometime," she teasingly stated. "Don't be embarrassed. Your chicken alfredo is one of the best I've ever had."

"Thanks, babe," the pretty boy replied, kissing her lips. Jackson playfully pointed his finger at George. "Since you threw me under the bus, you don't get to have any of the leftovers."

"That's alright with me. I'm doing just fine with my greasy, artery clogging cheeseburger," George amusingly replied and took another large bite. He decided to change the subject, so he could keep his appetite while he sat beside the newest lovebirds. "There was some talk going around at the hospital that one of the third years will be rewarded with a solo surgery this upcoming week."

Jackson raised his eyebrows intriguingly. "Seriously? How'd you find out?"

"I overheard Amelia discussing it with Robbins. Apparently, Bailey wants to see how good our class is. Well, one of us anyway."

April sighed as she held up her bandaged finger. "I'm definitely out of the running," she glumly proclaimed. "One less resident to worry about, you guys."

Jackson grabbed a hold of his girlfriend's left hand and kissed the back of it. "You'll get another shot," he encouragingly said. "Third years are given more opportunities for solos, even if they're as simple as an appendectomy. I'd love to get my hands on this solo, though. Sorry, O'Malley, but you already experienced one during intern year."

"Oh, you got the intern solo, George?" April asked curiously. "How did that go?"

George paused in the middle of chewing his food. "Let's just say I hoped there was such thing as a real life undo button," he awkwardly answered. "But the patient lived, so it wasn't the world's biggest fail."

Jackson smiled as he wrapped his arms around April's waist. "The intern solo is almost never a success in most cases. We aren't supposed to be competent enough to perform a surgery alone yet," he acknowledged. "But this solo, I'll never hear the end of it from my family if I screw it up."

George smirked. "What makes you think you're getting it?"

"It almost seems like common sense that they're going to try to test an Avery," he insisted. "I mean, I'm not saying that solo surgery is automatically mine, but I'm completely aware of the fact that these attendings have been drooling over the idea of me botching my first solo since I joined the residency program. It's an ego thing."

"Don't you think they'd want to boost their chances for the Harper Avery by hoping you're successful?" April argued.

Jackson slightly grimaced. "Actually, my presence at Seattle Grace is supposedly the reason why we may never see a Harper Avery winner unless, I leave after finishing my residency. They sort of think I'm a curse," he admitted. It wasn't a farfetched reason either. Nobody had expected him to start his residency in Seattle. Everybody knew Mass Gen groomed Averys into world class surgeons, specifically in cardiothoracic surgery. It was a big deal when an Avery joined Seattle Grace's program and the attention was a nuisance during intern year. "There's this assumption that nepotism would be in play regardless if I'm involved or not."

"That's ridiculous. Mass Gen's surgeons have a lesser fair chance than Seattle Grace's, right?" she noted. "Your grandfather works there, so wouldn't that make their chances slimmer?"

"Working at Mass Gen is equivalent to winning the Harper Avery Award in some people's eyes," he scoffed. "My grandfather is very selective about who he hires, so it's almost like being given access to the Holy Grail."

"Has anybody ever won the award from Seattle Grace?"

George slowly nodded, exchanging a glance with Jackson. "A while back. Ellis Grey, Meredith and Lexie's mother."

April eyed both men suspiciously. "Oh, I didn't know she was a surgeon too. I mean, Jo only told me what allegedly happened to her, but wow. So, Meredith and Lexie are basically part of a legacy."

"Neither of them enjoy talking about it, so don't bring it up around them," Jackson advised. "Kind of like me. Being an Avery is a blessing and a curse at the same time. I just want to feel normal for a change, you know?"

"You live in an apartment that would be considered poor by Avery standards, and I clean up my room better than you do. It's safe to say you're pretty normal, dude," George lightheartedly said, drawing a chuckle from April. "By the way, my dad gave me his tickets for the next Seahawks game. You, me and Karev. Want to go?"

Jackson hesitated to answer. Of course he wanted to attend the Seahawks game. It was practically being forced to bond with Alex that made him reluctant to go. They made occasional small talk since they called truce with each other, but it didn't make their interactions any less awkward. The guy was still mostly a stranger to him. "Have you asked Karev?"

"Not yet, but I'll ask him when I see him."

"And he will definitely go," April confidently said. She gently grasped Jackson's chin with her thumb and index finger, turning his head so they could make eye contact. "And so will you."

She wanted nothing more than for Jackson and Alex to form a friendship. It would lessen the tension between them and she wouldn't have to worry about choosing sides if another fight broke out. Alex was already an important person in her life, while Jackson was slowly becoming the same way.

"Trust me. It will be good for you two," she added. "You both love football."

Jackson let out a muffled laugh. April was using her hazel eyes and long eyelashes to convince him that she was right. And her dimpled smile, it was difficult to disagree with her. "I'll let you win this one," he conceded, to her delight.

April checked her watch and swiftly scooted off of Jackson's lap. "It's time for me to go."

"It's only 9:30," her boyfriend replied, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her back.

"Yeah, but I have to be up early for work tomorrow."

"Why don't you spend the night?" he suggested. The redhead's body stiffened as she reached for her purse. He couldn't see her face from his view, but he assumed she was surprised. "I mean, to sleep. Just to sleep. I… I don't even have to share my bed. I can take the couch if that'll make you more comfortable."

April turned around and bashfully smiled back at him. "Maybe next time." She walked to the front door with Jackson trailing from behind. "Have a nice day off, both of you. Thank you for dinner, Jackson."

Jackson opened the door for April and gave her a soft kiss before she stepped out of the apartment. "Goodnight. Call me whenever you have free time." He closed the door and returned to the couch. George had a smirk on his face while he ate his dinner. "What?"

"Nothing," his roommate unconvincingly replied. "Someone's horny."

Jackson groaned as he rested the back of his head against the top of the couch. "I know, I know. We agreed not to rush it, but she is just so… beautiful and hot, and I'm a guy," he guiltily answered. "You don't think I freaked her out, right?"

"Nah, you're good. She didn't run out of the apartment or anything," George assured him. "Just ease into it slowly next time and don't be so blunt. She might assume all you want is sex. Although in your case, that's probably 50% of the reason why you two are dating."

"C'mon, man. You know I'm not that shallow." Jackson paused for a second before he admitted, "More like 35% of the relationship is about the sex, which we haven't engaged in yet, but I think waiting will be worth it."

* * *

News of the first third year solo began to spread as the next few days passed. An e-mail had been sent out to the third year residents informing them of a scheduled skills lab that would be used to determine who would be awarded the surgery. Details of the surgery were unknown and nobody had an idea what type of procedure they would be performing until the beginning of their skills lab.

Alex carried two cups of coffee in his hands on his way to the skills lab. The residents were crowding the hallway outside of the lab as they waited for someone to arrive and let them inside. He found Jo sitting on the floor, her back pressed against the wall. He didn't hesitate to take a seat beside her as he held out one of the coffee cups in front of her. "Here," he offered. "And I didn't spit in it."

"Because the first thought I had was that you left me a little present in my coffee," Jo sarcastically replied, then she accepted the cup. She slowly took her first sip and let out a relieved sigh. "But thank you."

"So," he casually started, drinking his own coffee. "We had tacos again yesterday. On a Tuesday _again_. How about we make Taco Tuesdays a thing?"

"Two weeks of tacos makes me not want to eat tacos for the next two weeks," she quipped. "It was a coincidence. There's no official thing with us buying tacos together for dinner."

Alex slightly scrunched his nose at Jo. She was a very difficult person to impress and also read. Their casual taco dates had been laid back and filled with conversation that involved minimal banter. He brought up things about himself that he didn't openly tell everybody, yet she was a little more reserved. He did learn a few basic things about the brunette – New Jersey born, allergic to crab and occasionally had a case of Bieber fever, though he wasn't sure what that meant.

But he couldn't figure out if she was interested in more than a friendship. She played a frustrating hot and cold game with him. He could also blame himself because he never asked her out on a real date. It had always been a last minute idea without much planning. He wasn't the type who wanted to dress up and eat somewhere fancy. She didn't seem like the type either, making frequent stops at the Emerald City Bar for dinner to go.

April had given him grief over his hesitance. She thought he feared rejection. He didn't have the best track record with relationships, but a lot of it had to do with his lack of interest in them. It wasn't that he never planned on settling down and having a family of his own. He just wanted to have fun first, using medical school and the early years of residency to screw around with as many women as he could. But he was growing tired of that. It might be time to actually try now.

"Well, we could always go somewhere else and eat," he timidly suggested. "Maybe a place where the seats aren't freezing your ass because it's so freaking cold outside."

"What? Like a restaurant?" Jo curiously asked. She glanced down at her coffee cup trying not to smile. He was definitely asking her out, she thought. "Like a _date_?"

Alex nervously chuckled. "I mean, we could just eat somewhere nicer. I'll pay for my stuff, you pay for yours. We can make fun of all the nerds who dress up for dinner, like it's some high class restaurant," he explained, sipping his coffee again. "Doesn't have to be a date."

Jo rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You suck at date proposals," she straightforwardly said. "That was the most pathetic attempt at asking me out. I'm almost embarrassed for you."

"Okay, fine. Would you have a real dinner with me then?" he irritably replied. "Do a date thing or whatever. Just say yes or no. No more ambiguity and making me guess what you may be thinking."

"Yes," she quickly answered. "Although, there's one condition. You can't expect sex out of this. I never put out on the first date, no matter how hot the guy is. Oh, and a goodnight kiss isn't guaranteed either."

"That's two conditions. Got a third?" Alex scoffed. "Better yet, should I write this down somewhere?"

Jo smirked. "I'm finished."

"Okay, so how about Friday night?"

"Umm, no. Friday's not good for me," she murmured. "Working late."

"Saturday? Wait, no. I'm stuck with the night shift," he grumbled. "I mean, I could try to swap shifts with April or something, but then that would mean I work Sunday and I've got the Seahawks game with O'Malley and Avery…"

"Then we can set up the date some other time," Jo insisted with a smile. "It's no big deal. We're pretty much stuck together for another two and a half years at this hospital. Unless, you decide to transfer out because you and Avery can't agree on who gets the top bunk when you move in together."

Alex slightly scowled at her. "Funny."

Jo playfully nudged him with her elbow. "But look at you two, you're bonding now."

"I wouldn't call it that. O'Malley's there to basically be our mediator." He quickly shrugged. "Whatever. Football games are for getting drunk and yelling stupid things at the players. People who would rather have a conversation than pay attention to the game are the worst."

"Avery no longer gives you death stares from across the room. That's gotta be a plus, right?"

"That's because he has April keeping him happy," Alex noted with a laugh. "Dude's such a freaking puppy around her and they've only been dating for like, a couple of weeks. But she hangs out more at his place, so it's been peaceful at mine. At least I don't have to watch them makeout like teenagers. O'Malley told me they can't keep their hands off of each other. I'm surprised, to be honest."

"Surprised that they makeout like teenagers?" she chuckled.

Alex shook his head. "No, I mean by April. She… she was more reserved, ya know? If she caught me making out with someone in our living room, she'd scold me and tell me to go to my room," he amusingly explained. "I don't know. Maybe she's making up for missed time. She wasn't exactly a hot commodity at Mayo. Only one dork liked her, but she wasn't as outgoing as she is now. Avery does have some sort of effect on her."

"It's probably the eyes," Jo quipped.

"What about eyes?" Lexie inquired, sitting beside Jo on the floor.

"Uh, Yang's eyes. We can't tell if they're brown or completely black to match her soulless existence," Jo lied, though she did wonder if Cristina Yang was a human or an alien lifeform sent to Earth to torment innocent surgical residents. "Anyway, I highly doubt this solo has anything to do with cardio, so we're free from her for today."

Lexie softly groaned. "It's a bowel resection. My sister is going to be judging this skills lab with Chief Bailey," she bitterly stated. "Which means I likely won't get it. It's Meredith's patient and she'll be observing the surgery in case she has to step in. She's not gonna want me possibly showing her up in the OR."

Alex leaned forward to look at Lexie. "Well, you shouldn't even be allowed to compete for this surgery for two reasons. One, you winning would be nepotism. And two, you deserve to be disqualified after you tried to freaking slice off Kepner's finger last week."

"I wasn't trying to slice off her finger!" she retorted. "All I wanted was a surgery. I didn't premeditate a plan to sabotage her surgical career. It was a mistake, and if she would stop trying to dodge me whenever she sees me, I could formally apologize."

"Or you can officially back down from this skills lab and we'll call it even," he suggested.

"Nice try, but whether or not I get this surgery, I want all the practice I can get," Lexie dismissed, pushing herself up to her feet when Meredith arrived to open the door to the skills lab.

The residents began filing into the lab, which was already neatly set up with instruments, proper surgical attire and individual torso dummies containing foul smelling pig intestine. Each table fit for two residents, so they began claiming open spots for the skills lab.

Lexie took a spot at one of the tables located at the front of the room. She waved at Jackson after he walked inside. "Jackson, over here!" Jackson briefly glanced at his ex-girlfriend before joining George at another table, causing her to frown.

Once everyone was settled at their stations, Bailey and Meredith stood at the front of the room to address the residents. "Good morning, everybody. As you all know, one of you will be awarded a solo procedure for tomorrow," the Chief of Surgery greeted them. "Sitting in front of you on the table are dummies containing real pig intestine. We have carefully marked areas as diseased bowel. Your job is to perform a bowel resection as thoroughly as possible. You will have four hours to complete this procedure."

"And this isn't a race to finish first. We'll be judging your work based on anastomotic leak pressure and wound closure aesthetic quality," Meredith added. "As third years, you've learned how to do an anastomosis. Now, we'll find out who has been taking their previous skills labs seriously and who hasn't."

"Treat this simulation as if it's a real surgery. Remember not to rush, but don't fall behind either," Bailey advised, checking her watch. "Good luck, everybody. Your four hours begin… now."

The residents, clad in scrub caps, surgical masks and gowns, and gloves quietly began working on their individual models. The next four hours could either help them gain superstar resident status or receive the dreaded "dud" moniker.

* * *

While the third years were competing for the solo surgery, April sulked upstairs in the peds ward. Although, it was more putting on a fake bright smile for the children while sulking inside. Pediatric surgery required a lot of sensitivity, so walking around with a scowl on her face wouldn't put her on Robbins' good side. At least she was grateful that the blonde surgeon put her on her service rather than be forced to slum it with Sloan in Plastics. Her day was going to consist of lab runs and post-op work, but she preferred that over buying coffee for her superior.

April was skimming through e-mails on her cell phone at the nurses' station. Arizona glided along the floor in her Heelys and stopped beside her. "Hey, how's the fort holding?" she cheerfully greeted her resident.

"Oh, umm…" April began pointing out the nearby hospital rooms. "Billy in 4112 stopped puking, Alicia in 4113 is all prepped for surgery, James in 4116 won't stop complaining about the lack of good channels on his TV, and Mary in 4117, her labs came out clean. No urine in the blood, so she's free to go home."

"Awesome! I know you're not allowed to assist because of your finger, but I would like you to observe beside me in the OR. Every case is a learning opportunity," she commented in a singing tone, flashing her dimpled smile. "And you're quick on your feet, which I like. You deserve to be rewarded."

"Thank you, Dr. Robbins," the redhead graciously answered, despite feeling like an intern.

Arizona glanced down at her tablet and began tapping through various files. "What do you think about Karev?"

"As a friend?" April timidly replied. "To be honest, I'm not sure you're his type."

"That's fine. He's not my type either," she chuckled, her eyes focused on her tablet's screen. "And sweetie, if I was looking to date one of the residents, it certainly wouldn't be Karev. I would be asking _you_ out."

"Oh," April murmured, then her eyes grew wide when she finally realized what the pediatric surgeon was referring to. " _Ohh_ …"

Arizona smiled to herself before making eye contact with April. "It's okay. Anyway, what I meant to ask was, how do you think Karev would work out in Peds?" she clarified. "He seems like a difficult project. I love working with those."

April grimaced. "Good luck. He pretty much hates kids."

"Even better. Pediatric surgery isn't for everyone. Don't let those tiny human faces fool you. We're hardcore," she proudly responded. "Karev, I think I can change his mind about Peds. He assumes I'm not tough because I wear Heelys and smile all the time, but he has a surprise waiting for him."

April admired Arizona's determination. Her roommate wasn't easy to break. They could banter about the most random and irrelevant topics for hours simply because Alex never wanted to be proven wrong. There was something about Arizona that made her believe she would get through to him just like she was able to after years of trying to figure him out.

"I believe you. I might not be the toughest person around, but even I've been able to make Alex shake in his boots," she quipped.

* * *

Halfway through the allotted time to complete the skills lab, the residents were diligently working on their pig intestines in silence. The only sounds that could be heard were light chatter and footsteps from outside in the hallway. Everybody was in their own zone. Meredith and Bailey switched turns observing the residents at the top of each hour. The younger general surgeon returned from a brief lunch break and rounded the tables to check their progress.

Suddenly, everyone's concentration was broken when the sound of a cell phone vibrating disrupted the silence. Most of them stopped what they were doing, turning their heads to find out where the noise originated from. Jo had a guilty expression on her face as she removed her dirty glove to reach for her lab coat, which was hanging on a chair.

The brunette stared at her cell phone before hanging up on the call. "I'm sorry, guys," she sheepishly said. After putting her phone back, she returned to her station. Only a minute later, her cell phone began ringing again. Her colleagues appeared more annoyed than the first time.

"Just answer it, Wilson," Meredith impatiently ordered. "Take it outside."

Jo softly groaned, removing her gloves once again and retrieving her cell phone from her lab coat pocket. She quietly left the lab, but returned shortly after with a panicked expression on her face. "Uh, I have to leave. I… I forfeit," she announced, hastily removing her surgical gown and throwing her garbage in a hazard waste basket.

"You're forfeiting?" Meredith asked in a baffled tone. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously!" she snapped, clearing her throat after her coworkers stared at her stunned. "I'm sorry. I'm done."

Meredith rolled her eyes as Jo rushed out of the skills lab. "Unbelievable." She looked at the clock on the wall. "For the rest of you, those who actually want this surgery, you have exactly two hours left."

It was almost as if the small incident with Jo never happened because everybody returned to their own zone as they continued their skills lab. Following its conclusion, the residents were free to grab a late lunch before waiting in the locker room for Bailey and Meredith to announce who won the solo surgery. They were beginning to feel restless, and also becoming desperate for a shower because they all reeked of dead swine.

Alex munched on some chips as he took a seat on the bench in front of Jackson's cubby. "Dude, how long are they gonna be judging this thing? It's been like, an hour," he complained.

"No idea, but my anastomosis was flawless," Jackson smugly declared. He leaned back against his cubby with his arms folded. His fingers and his neck ached, but the pain would be worth it if he won the surgery. It was also the reward he needed to get his grandfather and mother off of his back. "Did Wilson ever come back?"

George glanced over at Jo's cubby. Her scrubs were partially hanging over the edge like she had left in a hurry. She didn't even take the time to dump them in the laundry bin on her way out. "Doesn't look like it. Her scrubs are in her cubby," he replied. "That was a bit weird the way she left, don't you think?"

"If there was some medical emergency, we'd know. She would still be here, so it can't be that," Jackson implied.

Alex raised his eyebrow curiously. "She got family around or whatever?"

"No. She doesn't talk about them. Maybe she's not too fond of her bloodline either. I wouldn't blame her. Some parents can be a big, old disappointment," the pretty boy insinuated, drawing a brief scowl from Alex. He simply smirked in response. "That was too easy."

April entered the locker room and immediately approached the three men. "Hey, I can't stay long, but how was the skills lab?" she inquired, standing beside Jackson. She scrunched her nose in disgust. "No offense, but you stink. Or is it you, Alex?"

Alex scoffed. "It's everyone this time. We were locked inside of a lab with pig intestine for four freaking hours."

"We were working for a bowel resection," Jackson answered, slipping his arm around April's shoulder. She casually shifted away from him and he laughed. "Okay, I'll take offense to _that_."

"I'm sorry. I have to return to the peds ward and I don't want to go back smelling like all of you," April bashfully replied as she walked away from the group. "Find me after work! Good luck, guys!"

Minutes later, Bailey and Meredith entered the locker room and everyone's attention was on them. They stood at the front of the room, then the Chief of Surgery announced, "After thorough evaluation and consulting with Dr. Grey, the resident who will be performing tomorrow's bowel resection is Lexie Grey."

"Yes!" Lexie excitedly whispered to herself with a fist pump, amid a sea of groans from her peers. She couldn't care less about the dirty looks they were giving her because winning the solo surgery was all that mattered to her.

"Oh, c'mon! Her sister was a judge. That's nepotism!" Alex argued.

"Trust me, I was pulling for Avery," Meredith dejectedly answered. "But we couldn't find any flaws with Lexie's work. It was a very close call. The majority of you did a fairly good job on your own resections, while some… need extra hours in the skills lab."

Bailey smiled at the beaming Lexie. "Dr. Grey, you also have the choice of selecting one of your fellow third years to assist you with this surgery. Congratulations to you. And for the rest of you… do better," she sternly said, her proud smile fading away as she looked at the losing residents.

"We'll discuss this at home," the older Grey told her sister before leaving with Bailey.

Lexie approached the three men, who all sported disappointed expressions on their faces. "George, would you like to assist me tomorrow in the OR?" she gleefully asked, briefly smiling at Jackson to add salt to his emotional wound.

George instantly grinned. "Really?" He noticed the scowls on Jackson and Alex's faces and cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "I mean, yeah, sure. Of course. Thanks, Lex."

"Great! How about we celebrate at Joe's later? No booze for us, but a celebratory burger will do as well," she suggested, then she looked at her sour coworkers. "And you two can come too, if you'd like."

After Lexie walked away, George sheepishly grinned at the twosome. "She never said anything about losers paying."

* * *

George and Lexie arrived at the Emerald City Bar and joined Alex at a table. He was the only person seated at the booth as he ate a burger. He had sent a text message to Jo hoping she would accompany him, so he wouldn't have to listen to his coworkers gloat about the solo surgery.

"No Avery or Kepner tonight?" George asked, sitting down across from Alex.

"Nope. They want to be 'alone'," he muttered, making air quotes with his fingers to emphasize the word alone. "So, I'm letting them hang out at our place and do whatever they want. Hopefully, not on the couch."

"Oh, don't worry about the sex. April's not putting out yet," George bluntly said. He winced after his coworker kicked his shin from underneath the table. "As far as I know anyway… ouch."

Lexie rolled her eyes as she sat beside George. "Jo not coming?"

"She said she was," Alex said, then he shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Well, I'm going to order myself some dinner. I'll be right back," she excused herself, leaving their table.

"Avery's ego is hurting, huh?" George questioned.

Alex chuckled. "Pretty much. Must suck losing to his ex. Whatever. He'll bounce back. He's got April coddling him now anyway." His mood brightened a bit when he saw Jo walking into the bar. He waved at her to catch her attention. She sat down beside him and he smirked. "It's about damn time."

Jo sighed as she settled into her seat. "So Lexie won? I knew she would."

"Where have you been?" he probed. He could sense that she remained bothered by whatever happened earlier during the skills lab.

"I really shouldn't talk about it," she murmured, running her palms down her face. "It's so embarrassing."

"Dude, just tell us. It can't be that stupid."

Jo rolled her eyes at Alex, then she took a deep breath and said, "It was my cat." She folded her arms and shook her head. "I had my neighbor watch her today, and she basically went all psycho and tried to claw her eyes out. Kind of did a number on her, and it was a huge mess. Pretty sure my neighbor hates me now."

"Wow, that's… crazy," George awkwardly replied. "Maybe it's time to give up the cat?"

Lexie returned and reclaimed her seat. "What are we talking about now?"

"Jo's stupid cat tried to kill her neighbor," Alex amusingly replied before biting into his burger.

"You left the skills lab for _that_?" Lexie asked appalled.

"She probably would have tried to kill my cat if I didn't leave!" Jo retorted. "Can we drop it now? It's been a long day, I'm tired and I have no idea why I decided to come here in the first place."

Alex held his half-eaten burger in front of Jo's face. "Bite?"

"Eww, no. You have slobber all over it." Jo pushed herself up from her seat. "I'll just buy my own."

Alex set his burger down and followed Jo to the bar counter. After she ordered her dinner, he waved at Joe and smiled. "It's on me, okay?" he insisted. "Who cares about the skills lab? We all knew Lexie would win anyway."

"It's not about winning that surgery. Bailey and Grey probably assume my priorities are elsewhere. I knew I shouldn't have left, but…" Jo softly groaned, resting her forehead on the counter. "Forget it. Like you normally say, whatever. It's done with. I'm the dud."

"Nobody's saying you are," he assured her. "It was for a bowel resection. We'll most likely see more of those in the future. Stop pouting and crap and just thank me for buying you dinner."

Jo raised her head and slightly smiled back at him. "Your charm is so endearing. Seriously. But thank you."

"I even took a shower before I got here. You know, if we don't return to that table, we can call this a date," he proposed. "I'm buying you dinner and I'm working my so-called charm…"

"Alright, fine. It's a date," she playfully surrendered. "Just don't burp near my face like you did last week after tacos."

Alex smugly grinned, taking a step back. "Don't move. I'll just grab my burger and I'll be back. I want to hear more stories about your cat from hell."

Jo laughed as Alex temporarily left her alone at the counter. For someone who really knew how to make another person feel like crap with his words, somehow, he managed to make her feel better with the stupidest joke that came out of his mouth. He was a lot more charming than he probably gave himself credit for, she thought.

* * *

Surprisingly, it was a cloudless and rainless day in Seattle for the Seahawks game. George, Jackson and Alex stood in the corner section as the home team prepared for a play that the fans all hoped would lead to a touchdown before halftime. However, Jackson held a soft spot for the opposing team because they were playing his beloved New England Patriots. They were currently tied, which bode well for him, but he feared his hometown team would be down a touchdown in a matter of seconds. He desperately tried to shut out all of the noisy Seahawks fans who were taunting his Patriots.

"Crap," Jackson mumbled under his breath as the stadium erupted following a touchdown.

"I don't actually love football, but this is still amazing to watch," George enthusiastically stated, nudging his roommate with his elbow.

"Very amazing," he murmured, pursing his lips.

Alex pointed over his shoulder. "I'm gonna restock on beer and buy some food. Get a head start before the crowds start pouring in at halftime. You two want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good," Jackson answered.

"Uh, nachos would be good. With everything on it, Karev!" George requested. "And that doesn't include your spit."

Alex scoffed before he left their aisle. Jackson slipped his hands into his pockets as he watched his Patriots return a kickoff. Despite the fact that they were seated beside each other, neither of them had started much of a conversation in between plays and quarters. He used the loud noise as an excuse to avoid talking to Karev. And he was rooting for the Seahawks, which gave him another reason not to talk to him.

Jackson heard a faint ringing and retrieved his cell phone from his pocket. It wasn't his, so he checked to see if George had received a call. He was too occupied with the game to even notice. Jackson glanced down at the glowing light sticking out of Alex's jacket pocket. He slowly furrowed his brow when half of the caller ID was legible. Although he knew he shouldn't be nosy, he reached down and grabbed the cell phone. He clenched his jaw when he saw the name.

 _Dalton_

"Hey, isn't that your dad?" George curiously asked after he noticed Alex's cell phone in Jackson's hand.

"Yeah," his roommate muttered, staring hard at the name as the phone continued to ring.

"Are you gonna answer it?"

Jackson remained silent as he contemplated what he should do. What was the point of answering? He didn't want to have anything to do with his father. Then again, maybe Dalton Avery deserved an overdue lecture from his son after all of these years. He couldn't even remember how his voice sounded. But a single swipe could easily change that.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think please! Up next: a Jolex date and maybe another secret? ;)**


	9. Formal Date Jitters

**Thank you for the reviews! Hope you enjoy the next installment! :)**

* * *

Alex arrived home following a 23-hour shift at the hospital. It was barely 5 AM, and although sleep was what he needed the most, he had a sudden craving for his beloved Crispy Puffs. He set his bag on the floor, removing his jacket on his way to the kitchen. The messy side of him tossed his jacket onto the counter before he grabbed a clean bowl from the cupboard. He poured himself some cereal and milk, and he brought his bowl and the cereal box to the couch. He comfortably sat down on the couch and turned on the TV.

As he munched on a spoonful of cereal, the sound of April's alarm clock rang from her bedroom. Her timing was always on the dot, never too early or late. In about a minute, his roommate would be claiming the bathroom to take her morning shower. He was playing a countdown in his head and soon after, her bedroom door opened. Just like he predicted, he heard footsteps walking towards their bathroom. However, after hearing the toilet flush, the footsteps moved down the hallway towards the living room.

Alex slowly raised his eyebrows when Jackson appeared wearing a t-shirt and boxers. "What are you doing here?"

"I slept over," he nonchalantly answered, walking into the kitchen. "Hey, can I have some of that cereal?"

"Uh, sure. Whatever," Alex muttered. Normally, he would be protective of his cereal, especially the marshmallows, but he lacked the energy to argue with Jackson at that moment. He returned his attention to his cereal and listened to April's footsteps travel to the bathroom. The shower turned on shortly after, giving him the opportunity to interrogate his coworker. "You and Kepner doing it now?"

"What?" Jackson chuckled, approaching Alex to serve himself some cereal. "No, we're not. I was just too tired to drive myself home last night after we had dinner here."

"Must be difficult for you," he teased.

Jackson sat down on the arm of the couch with his back facing Alex. He was going to give him a pass for his typical crass jokes. He could tell by the bags underneath his coworker's eyes that he would be going to bed very soon. "I have no problem with waiting," he insisted, feeding himself cereal afterwards. "I mean, we haven't really talked about it. Is she a-"

"No," Alex interrupted. "And no, I didn't devirginize her, so don't ask."

"I wasn't going to," he murmured, letting out a soft sigh of relief. "You look like crap, by the way."

"Whatever. I scrubbed in with Altman and she let me close," Alex bragged. "And once I get some sleep, I'll look better than you by the time my date with Jo starts."

Jackson smirked as he looked over his shoulder. "She finally gave in?" He was aware of the fact that Jo was playing hard to get with Alex. It wasn't a complete surprise to him, though. There were plenty of men who showed interest in his friend since their intern year, but nobody quite stuck around long enough. "What food truck is it this time?"

Alex slightly scowled at him. "Kiss my ass. We're eating at a restaurant tonight," he retorted. "I had to practically beg her to agree to go on this date. Dude, sometimes I can't even tell if she's actually into me or she just freaking pities me. Successfully asking her out is harder than a quadruple bypass procedure."

Despite the fact that Jackson could easily give him a hard time about it, he decided to go easy on him. "You'll be fine," he assured Alex. "To be honest, you might last longer than the guys she dated in the past."

"How many were there?"

"Uh, I don't keep count," the pretty boy answered. "Nobody serious."

Alex finished his first round of cereal and poured himself another. "This is gonna sound random as hell, but do you ever think about your dad… err, Dalton?" he reluctantly asked.

"Why are you asking me that?" Jackson suspiciously answered with his own question. He wondered if Alex knew that he had briefly taken his cell phone at the Seahawks game. Nothing had actually happened. After it stopped ringing, he returned the phone back into Alex's jacket pocket. He hadn't been ready to speak to his father at all, let alone listen to his voice on the other end. "I don't cry myself to sleep thinking about the father I barely had or anything."

"Oh, well… just wondering," he casually replied. Alex struggled to find a way to tell Jackson that they shared blood through a younger sister. The news was always going to be difficult to reveal and the timing never felt right.

Jackson furrowed his brow as he stared at his half-eaten cereal. "You two talk a lot?"

"Sometimes we talk every week. I tend to forget to call him back because I'm too tired at the end of the day, though. He just wants to know how I'm doing over here, gives me updates from home."

"Does, umm… does he know why you came here?" That was the million dollar question for Jackson. If Dalton was aware that he was working at Seattle Grace as well, then he and Alex had to be talking about him on the phone. "I'm the reason why you left Mayo, isn't it?"

Alex sighed, setting his bowl on his lap. "I also left for April," he admitted. "I mean, not because I have feelings for her or whatever. Definitely not anything to do with that. She told me not to come, but I did anyway. She was the only real friend I had over there."

Jackson turned his body around to face Alex. "Why exactly did she leave?" he questioned curiously. The only reason his girlfriend had given him was that she needed a change in environment, but of course, he wanted to know _why_ she wanted that change in the first place. Although he knew many random facts about April, parts of her remained mysterious to him and their coworkers. "She won't tell me any specifics."

Alex finished his cereal, drinking the leftover milk from the bowl as quickly as possible. Without answering Jackson's question, he stood up to put away the cereal box and drop off his bowl in the sink. He knew the pretty boy was waiting for an answer since his eyes followed his every move. "Dude…" He rolled his eyes as he walked out of the kitchen. "That's something she's gotta tell you herself. It's not my place to talk about this behind her back."

After Alex retreated to his bedroom to get some sleep, April entered the living room wearing her pink bathrobe. "Oh, you're still here," she chirped when she found Jackson washing his and Alex's bowls at the sink. Her bubbly mood made him smile. "I thought you would be gone by now."

"Had a quick breakfast – with Karev, actually," Jackson explained. "He just went to bed."

"And how was that?" she inquisitively asked. The redhead knew some bad blood remained between the two men, but if none of their furniture was broken, then it must have been a calm conversation.

"No big deal. Told me he has a date with Wilson tonight." He finished washing the dishes and dried his hands with a towel. Jackson turned around, wrapping his arms around April's waist. "Which made me think you and I could have another date night after work?"

April smiled as Jackson placed gentle kisses against her neck. "My place or yours?"

"Here would be better. Who knows how long Karev will be out?" Jackson's lips traveled up to her chin and stopped at her lips. "We could order some takeout, watch a movie… maybe finish the date in your bedroom?"

She gently grasped his face and stared at him with wide eyes. "I don't mean to sound like an idiot, but we're talking about sex, right?"

"Look, I won't force you to have sex if you don't want to," he assured her. "I'm positive I'm clean, and I can get myself tested at the hospital today if that'll help you feel more comfortable around me. If you're waiting until marriage-"

"I'm not," she nervously laughed. "I'm just… really insecure about my body. I know that's probably stupid…"

"Don't be. We change beside each other at work almost every day. I may not have seen how you look without any clothes, but I would be lying if I said I haven't checked you out when you're not looking," Jackson teasingly said, playfully tugging on her bathrobe's tie. "And solely based on that, I think you're incredibly sexy."

April buried her face against her boyfriend's shoulder to cover up her blushing cheeks. He could make a living sweet talking to women if somebody paid him to. "Why are you so good at that?" she chuckled. "We'll talk about this at work, okay? You should probably go."

Jackson forced himself to pull away from April. He retrieved his jeans from her bedroom and gathered his belongings. He gave her a kiss goodbye before stepping out of the apartment. "See you at work, beautiful." She laughed in response, then he officially left.

His conversation with Alex had given him something to think about when he wasn't distracted by work. When he asked about Dalton he hadn't received a clear answer. Instead his coworker deflected the topic to April. Something about the way Alex responded when he asked about her felt protective, like he had to swear on his life about whatever secret she was hiding. In order for their relationship to progress, he really hoped April would eventually become more open with him.

* * *

George entered the locker room, his eyes immediately noticing peculiar splotches on Jo's back as she changed into her scrubs. "Uh, what is going on with your back?" he asked concerned. He cautiously approached his friend and stared at the red spots that covered her shoulders and upper back. "Are those hives?"

"Yes. They're stress hives," Jo mumbled, whipping her scrub top over her head to quickly hide her medical condition. "Pretty self-explanatory why I have them."

"What are you stressed about?" George inquired as he stood in front of his cubby. "Is it about leaving that skills lab? Because that's been done and over with, and I'm sure the attendings already forgot about that."

"It's not that. I have a date tonight," she timidly answered.

George softly laughed. "Seriously? That's what caused your stress hives?" His lighthearted response only elicited a scowl from Jo. He cleared his throat and hung his backpack in his cubby. "But why?"

"Because…" Jo folded her arms as she approached George. She scanned the locker room hoping Alex wouldn't arrive anytime soon. "I haven't been on a formal date in four months. And I'm going out with Karev. We're actually going somewhere nice. I have to shave my legs in our nasty locker room bathroom later!"

"You must _really_ be stressed out then. I don't think I've ever met anybody who can develop stress hives over a simple date."

"Simple? Bowling is simple because I wouldn't have to directly look him in the eye at all times, and I can gloat about kicking his ass. But at a restaurant, I'll be sitting across from him and we have to talk for like, an hour, while making eye contact," Jo dreadfully explained. "And if it goes well, I don't even know what will happen then."

George smirked at his worker. "You make a date sound more horrifying than a rectal exam," he quipped. "You like Karev, though, right? I don't understand what the problem is."

"That's my problem – I like him _a lot_."

"I still don't understand…" George raised his eyebrow curiously. Jo could be straightforward, yet an enigma at the same time. He wished he knew more about his friend aside from the basic facts. She hardly talked about her childhood or high school, or even her current interests. It took a lot of begging sometimes just for her to join their group of friends for drinks. "You like Karev, but that's a problem for you? Is it because he burps out loud and tends to sneak in a fart in the OR gallery?"

Jo covered her face with her hands and laughed. "No!" She dropped her hands to her sides. "I don't want to screw it up, that's all. If things go south after this date, it'll be awkward being around him. And he seems like the type who has no problem shutting people out at the drop of a hat. I don't want that to happen."

"I don't think that'll happen. Just be you," he advised. "Well, the you I'm familiar with."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she defensively replied.

George shrugged his shoulders. "It's just that… it feels like I don't know as much about you as I thought," he confessed, avoiding eye contact with Jo. "And I'm not trying to say it like it's a bad thing, but do you tell Alex things about yourself that you haven't told us? Jackson, Lexie, even April?"

"If you want to know something about me, then ask. I just don't have the most exciting life, so there isn't much to talk about," she insisted. Jo turned her head and noticed April walking into the locker room. She quickly rushed towards the redhead and tugged on her wrist. "We need to talk."

April was caught off-guard when Jo practically dragged her into the private restroom. The latter locked the door, blocking it with her body. "Umm… what did I do?" she nervously asked.

"Nothing. I'm sure you know that Alex and I have a date tonight."

"Oh, yeah!" she cheerfully replied. "I'm so happy for you two. Alex really likes you. You must be so excited!"

"Excited doesn't necessarily describe my feelings at the moment, but sure," Jo answered with a shrug. "What are some topics I can talk about with him? I don't want to come off boring or totally sound like we don't relate at all."

"Well, you've been hanging out with him more than I have lately. What do you talk about?"

Jo chewed on her bottom lip. "Work, stupid jokes, work." She slightly grimaced. "I mean, we talk about other stuff too, but I want this date to be more about deeper things. I don't want to talk about surgeries during dinner, ya know?"

April stroked her chin as she quietly thought to herself. "You can talk about wrestling," she suggested. "Alex takes a lot of pride in being a national champion at Iowa. If you two haven't talked about his wrestling career, then bring that up. He can talk about that for hours if you can't find anything to say."

"And when he stops?"

"Talk about yourself," she encouragingly replied. "C'mon, Jo. I bet you have a ton of stories you can share with Alex. Or you can do what he normally enjoys doing and make fun of the people around you, which isn't the classiest thing, but that's Alex."

Jo slightly smiled. "I'm sorry if I sound like a nut. I'm actually nervous about this date. I don't want it to end badly."

"If it makes you feel better, I think Alex will be a little nervous too," April assured her. "His nickname isn't Romeo for many reasons, but you two will be okay."

"Thank you. Honestly, I'm not sure I can talk about this with anybody except you," she admitted. "Jackson would be too awkward to approach, and Lexie would only discourage me from dating Alex because she finds him obnoxious. And George-"

April placed her hands on Jo's shoulders and smiled. "And I'll be glad to offer you advice when you need it. I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty good at that," she proudly said. "Calm down, take a deep breath, and let me out of this stinky bathroom."

Jo laughed as she unlocked the door. They both exited the bathroom, so April could change into her scrubs.

Jackson eyed the brunette curiously as she sat down on the bench in front of him. "What were you two talking about?"

"Lady gossip, Avery. Lady gossip," she teasingly answered, bending over to tie her shoes. "And before you wet yourself with excitement, it wasn't about you."

"Funny. Someone needs to get laid," Jackson murmured, chuckling to himself. He caught the stern stare from April and cleared his throat. "It would be good… for everybody."

April playfully slapped her boyfriend's shoulder, rolling her eyes at him. "Don't be mean, or else no date tonight."

"Yeah, listen to your girlfriend, Avery," Jo chimed in, smirking at him. She was enjoying the fact that she and April could form a double team against Jackson _and_ Alex. Plus, she knew the redhead had her boyfriend wrapped around her finger making it easier to tease him.

Jackson pursed his lips, furrowing his brow at Jo. "Go… go feed your cat," he lamely chided.

Jo and April shared a laugh when Jackson walked to another part of the locker room. "He just makes it so easy," the brunette amusingly stated.

* * *

Alex checked the time on his watch as he stood outside of the Italian restaurant he and Jo agreed to have dinner in. He had offered to pick her up from work, but she insisted that they meet outside of the restaurant instead. Although he found it slightly odd, it hardly bothered him. He was more concerned that she might be running late or ditching him altogether. Their reservation would be up in about five minutes and he didn't want to lose it.

He had dedicated his afternoon to preparing for this date. He couldn't remember the last time he worked this hard to make an impression. Perhaps it was because he never went out of his way to be a gentleman for someone. The whole romantic aspect was just not him, no matter how much his mother tried to help him. The sweetest thing he had done for a woman – at least from what he could remember – was call her back after a cheap date. His high school and college years were all about fun. Now that he was older, he started to think it was time to grow up a bit.

But he wasn't going to clean up his act for just any woman. He remained selective with his choices. Jo stood out because she didn't allow him to push her buttons as much as he could with other people. He wouldn't freely admit it, but he admired that about her.

Alex was so apprehensive about the date that he had even texted April his wardrobe options, to her amusement. She chose a clean buttoned down red shirt, dark blue jeans and a brown leather jacket he rarely wore. He stuffed his hands inside of his jacket pockets, scanning the area for Jo.

A minute later, Jo arrived, almost panting heavily after running to the restaurant from a block away. "Hey! Sorry, if I'm late. I had trouble finding parking," she breathlessly greeted him.

"Uh, it's fine. Our reservation's still there," he murmured. His eyes were locked in on Jo's appearance. "You look really good."

Her long hair flowed past her shoulders, a different look from the ponytail or side braid she sported at work. She wore more makeup than usual, and she was wearing her nicest top, a purple blouse, along with black jeans. Just like Alex, she had made an effort to look nice for their date. "Thank you."

"We should go in," he suggested, walking towards the entrance with her. Alex opened the door, stepping a foot inside before he paused and took a step back. He awkwardly smiled as he allowed Jo to go inside first. "Sorry."

They were brought to their table, which was beside one of the windows. After ordering their beverages and entrees, it was fairly quiet between the two of them as they both tried to come up with a topic to discuss.

"So… how was work?" Alex shut his eyes and grimaced. "Wait. We agreed not to talk about that crap."

"Right," Jo chuckled. She slowly sighed, raising her eyebrows as she stared out the window. It was much easier to start a conversation when it didn't require being courteous to the other person. She kind of missed their banter already. "Umm… heard you were a big shot wrestler at Iowa. How many titles did you win?"

"Individual, team or both?" he asked. She simply shrugged in response. "Well, we won the team title three years in a row. We lost my freshman year, but I won my weight class every year. Actually, I was undefeated in my last two years. Iowa is one of the elite schools. We've won 23 team titles, and no freaking clue how many individuals, but we're a dynasty."

Jo nodded and smiled. "Impressive. To be honest, I don't know jack about wrestling. I just know the sport is one of the easiest ways to contract MRSA if you don't clean the mats well after a match," she lightheartedly replied. He raised his eyebrow at her, and she shifted in her seat. "I played volleyball… in high school."

"Oh, what position? Outside hitter? Setter?"

"Defensive specialist – for the J.V. team," she sheepishly answered. "My volleyball career never took off."

"But you were an athlete. That's cool," Alex insisted. "My sister, Amber, she's a sophomore on the University of North Carolina's volleyball team. She's an outside hitter. A bit undersized, but she's got a nice vertical and a hell of an arm."

"Is Amber… Jackson's half-sister?" Jo curiously asked. With what little information she knew about Dalton Avery, she knew he had met Helen Karev when she only had Alex, so the only possibility would be that Amber arrived afterwards. "I don't mean to pry. You said you were an only child when you met Dalton…"

Alex slowly nodded, chugging his water. He wanted to punch himself for letting that information slip. He had planned to tell Jackson about Amber Karev-Avery before telling anybody else. Now, two other people knew about her existence. He trusted April to keep it a secret and he hoped Jo would as well. "Don't tell Avery. I haven't told him yet."

Jo quickly shook her head. "I won't. I promise. Does Amber have any similarities with Jackson?"

"They both got Dalton's eyes. It's actually pretty freaky now when I think about it," he softly laughed. "She knows about Jackson. She wants to meet him, but I have no idea how to set that up without pissing off Avery."

"How do you plan on telling him, though?" she inquired. "I'm sure that's a hell of a lot to take in."

Alex furrowed his brow as he served himself some bread. "I don't know. What am I supposed to say? 'Dude, you got a half-sister. Awesome, huh?' Any way I tell him will probably lead to him being pissy or worse, he'll want nothing to do with her. And that's a crappy thought, you know? Not her fault Dalton screwed up with his first kid." He stuffed his mouth with bread. "Anyway, whatever. What about you? Got siblings?"

"Nope. Just me," Jo replied, sipping her wine. "No secret siblings for me."

"Damn. If that were the case, we'd be freaking soulmates," he quipped, then he pushed the bread basket towards her. "You should eat some of this. It's pretty good."

Jo reached for a slice of bread and small packet of butter. "Can I ask you something about April?" He seemed reluctant to answer at first, but he eventually nodded. "What about her made you decide to be friends with her? You guys are so opposite of each other. She's so kind and sweet, and I just imagine you being so cruel to her."

"It started off like that in med school, but… I just trust her. She trusts me too," Alex casually answered. He already let one secret slip. He refused to make that mistake again. "She's, uh, she believed in me. A lot of people are quick to give up on me because my attitude sucks sometimes, but she never did. I wouldn't even be a surgical resident right now if it wasn't for her. I owe her a lot."

"That's fair. I should confess something to you now. A couple of months ago, I overheard you two talking in a stairwell. It was after April bailed on us during lunch because Lexie kind of freaked her out about dating Jackson. And you were so warm and caring towards her that it really changed my mind about you," she explained. "You're a really good friend, Alex."

Alex slightly ducked his head, feeling almost embarrassed about the compliment. His cold attitude growing up resulted in very few compliments from his peers. As a result, receiving compliments always made him feel awkward. "Thanks."

"And I don't want to sound like I'm interrogating you, but April is hiding something and you know what it is," the brunette added, biting her bottom lip nervously. She hoped he wouldn't throw a pissy fit over it. "Will she ever tell us? I mean, George, Jackson and I have gotten pretty close to you two-"

"She'll tell you when she's ready," he interrupted. "But don't push her."

* * *

Following dinner, Alex and Jo left the restaurant and stood outside on the sidewalk. It had been a successful date. Despite a few awkward moments, they were able to have a smooth conversation about various topics while they ate their dinner. They split a dessert before Alex paid the bill.

"Thank you for dinner. Seriously, we could have split that," Jo graciously said.

"Nah, it's okay. The food was good, so I don't mind taking this one." Alex placed his hands inside of his jacket pockets to protect them from the chilly air. "You're off tomorrow, right?"

"I am."

"Well, I'm on-call tomorrow, but I won't be at the hospital unless they page me, so… we could meet up, if you want?"

Jo wrapped her arms around her body to keep herself warm. She hated the fact that she left her jacket in the car, but she had been rushing to meet with Alex. "I have errands to run, sorry," she regretfully replied. "But tonight was fun. It was enjoyable. Much better than the food truck."

Alex softly chuckled. "I had a nice time too." He ached to kiss her, but found himself freezing on the spot. She wasn't walking away, so that was a good sign. He began to lean forward, though he was immediately caught off-guard when she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Alex," she muttered, turning around and walking away quickly.

"What the hell?" he mumbled to himself.

The drive home hadn't been pleasant. Alex was both confused and irritated by how the date ended. It felt so abrupt, like he had done something wrong. Jo had kissed him on the cheek, but that wasn't what he had hoped for. A kiss on the cheek was equivalent to a handshake, in his opinion. He couldn't recall saying anything wrong. She had been in a good mood after dinner.

He entered his apartment, angrily shutting the door behind him. The noise startled Jackson and April, whose heads shot up over the couch after Alex interrupted their makeout session.

"Nice to see you too, Karev," Jackson irritably greeted him as he sat upright on the couch.

April pushed herself up into a sitting position while Alex plopped down in between the couple. "What's the matter? Was the date a disaster? Oh, gosh! What did you do, Alex?"

"I didn't do anything!" Her roommate retorted and sported a pout. "It was a freaking good date!"

"So, why are you so pissed?" she asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Because," Alex grumbled, folding his arms in front of his chest. "I leaned in to kiss her, but she cut me off and kissed me on the cheek. _On the cheek!_ I swear, my breath was fine. I popped in a mint when I used the restroom before we left."

April slightly frowned, placing a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry. This doesn't make sense. Jo was so nervous about tonight because she likes you a lot. Why would she do that?" She glanced over at Jackson, who appeared just as annoyed as Alex. "You know her more than we do. Is that weird for her?"

"I don't know. I don't monitor her dates," Jackson unenthusiastically replied. "Told you we should've taken this to the bedroom."

"Jackson, please," April scolded him, then she returned her attention back to Alex. "So what now? Will you call her tomorrow, or wait until you see her at work?"

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose and deeply sighed. "I don't know."

Jackson smirked at his coworker. "Are you gonna cry?"

"Dude, shut up!" Alex stood up and stormed off to his bedroom. He practically ripped off his jacket and threw it at the wall. He was throwing a childish tantrum, but he couldn't care less. The date was perfect until that kiss attempt and now, he felt humiliated.

* * *

The next day, April and Alex went to the mall. The latter had hoped to stay in bed all day unless he was paged to the hospital, but his roommate managed to coax him into going to the mall with her. Although, it was more like she nagged him incessantly until he couldn't stand it anymore and forced himself out of bed. Now, he was following her around while he carried her numerous shopping bags. His mood hadn't improved from the previous night. He remained hurt and angry about how Jo ended their date.

"Be grateful that I dragged you out of the apartment. You need to do some Christmas shopping for your family," April reminded him as they exited another store where she successfully made a purchase for one of her family members. "It wouldn't hurt to get something for Jo, you know."

"Why? She's the one who didn't want to kiss me," Alex complained. "And I just buy stuff from Amazon and ship them to Iowa. Who cares if they're wrapped or not?"

April rolled her eyes. "I just think that she has a reasonable explanation for how she reacted. That doesn't mean you should suddenly drop her out of your life," she lectured. "When you talk to her again just be straightforward. You two keep sending each other mixed signals."

Alex softly groaned. "Can we stop talking about her? I'm already doing you a favor by carrying all of your crap. I mean, what the hell are you buying a glass elephant for?"

"Kimmie loves elephants. I'm on a budget this year, okay?" she chided.

They continued walking and made a pit stop at the food court. Alex was aching for a corndog and he asked April to buy one for him, so he wouldn't have to drop all of her shopping bags. While they stood near the stall waiting for it to be prepared, the redhead spotted Jo walking towards their direction.

"Oh, look who's here!" April chirped, leaving Alex behind and approaching their friend. "Jo! Hey!"

Jo stopped in her tracks, surprised to see them. "Hey," she murmured, forcing a smile. "You're here."

"I'm getting my Christmas shopping out of the way. What about you?"

"Same, sort of." Jo looked away when Alex joined April's side. "Hi, Alex."

Alex remained quiet, taking a large bite out of his corndog. April cleared her throat and smiled. "Funny to see you here. We were just talking about you – not in a negative way, of course," she insisted. "Want to join us? I still have half a list of shopping to do."

"No, it's cool. I've got my own plans. I won't be staying long," Jo anxiously replied. "Anyway, I should get going."

A young girl approached the threesome, stopping by Jo's side. Alex stared at her curiously. She appeared to be around 11 or 12 years old, and a few inches shorter. Her physical attributes were similar to Jo's, but he knew she didn't have any siblings. "Is this a little cousin of yours?"

"N-no," she hesitantly answered, wrapping her arm over the girl's shoulder. "She's… my daughter."

April, though extremely shocked, had a forced, cheesy smile on her face. Alex, on the other hand, raised his eyebrow as his eyes grew wide. _Holy shit_ , was what he wanted to say, but nothing came out when his mouth partially opened. He had his share of bizarre experiences, but he truly had no idea how to respond to that.

* * *

 **Now that the _cat_ 's out of the bag, let me know what you think please! ;)**


	10. The Cat

**Thank you for the reviews, folks! I'm glad I was able to surprise most of you :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jo Wilson didn't grow up with the best role models. Her mother was 18 years old when she had given birth to her. Her father had married her mother, but parenting hadn't been their top priority. They thought keeping her showed enough responsibility. She liked to believe they were just proud that they hadn't killed her like an irresponsible child who neglected their goldfish. They hardly taught her right from wrong. So it wasn't shocking when their daughter had gotten herself pregnant during her freshman year of high school. Instead of handling the situation, they had shipped Jo off to her grandmother in New Jersey.

The remainder of her teenage years had been difficult. She struggled to fit in at her new school, especially once the gossip spread about her having a child at a younger age than when her parents had her. But having a baby so young had also taught her responsibility. Her grandmother constantly reminded her that she would have to work twice as hard because she had another life to look after. And she didn't want her daughter to have the life she had. She wanted to give her a better one, and that was why she decided to become a doctor.

But that was without complications. Dating proved to be most difficult for Jo because her daughter wasn't the bouncy, adorable infant that some men wouldn't mind meeting. She was 12 years old with enough social awareness. She always put her daughter first, especially when she felt that the man she was dating wouldn't be open to meeting her. Trying to explain to anybody that her daughter was almost a teenager was complicated enough when she herself looked like she was just graduating college.

Having to lie to her peers made her feel extremely guilty, but she had endured being the juicy gossip for most of her life that hiding one detail – though a very major detail – about herself would at least place her at the same level as everyone else. Her friends never suspected anything, so she continued to keep her daughter a secret.

Until she got caught anyway.

Now she stood in front of two of her colleagues, both remaining silent and surprised to see a miniature version of herself standing beside her. Because Jo had straightforwardly told them her secret, there was no backing out now. Also, April's overly wide smile would probably scare her daughter if she didn't stop soon.

"This is Caterina," Jo introduced her daughter to them. "But she goes by Cat."

"Cat…" Alex suspiciously murmured. Everything instantly clicked for him. Whenever Jo talked about her cat, she was never actually talking about a feline that coughed up hairballs and took dumps in kitty litter. "This is your cat? Huh, less furry than I expected."

The young girl scrunched her nose. "I'm not a real cat, idiot."

"Hey, be nice," Jo scolded her daughter. "And where's Nana? You're supposed to be with her."

"She's just paying for something at Victoria's Secret. I wanted to buy a smoothie, so she let me go to the food court."

"I told you that you can't wander off alone like this. And what is she doing at Victoria's Secret? She better not be buying you any skimpy underwear. I already told you that's out of the question."

Cat groaned loudly. "They're just pajama pants, gosh! And the food court is right across from the store! I know not to talk to strangers or anything," she retorted, folding her arms in front of her chest.

Jo closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Okay, fine. Go buy your smoothie and come back right after."

April waited until Cat was a good distance away before she cheerfully said, "She seems like a sweet kid."

"Yeah, well, apparently being almost thirteen means she's allowed to rebel and talk back to adults," she irritably replied. The brunette ran her palms down her face before looking back at her friends. "I know this is really… _surprising_."

"No kidding," Alex scoffed. "Nobody knows you got a kid? O'Malley, Avery, Grey?"

Jo shook her head. "I never told them. Listen, it sounds awful that I've been lying to you all, but I have my reasons. I can't explain all of them to you right now, but trust me when I tell you that everything else I've told you about myself is real," she insisted. "No bullshit, I promise."

"Well, it's definitely a shock. I mean, how old were you when you had Cat?" April politely questioned.

"Fifteen. Just a couple of weeks before turning sixteen," she muttered, avoiding eye contact with both Alex and April. "I didn't know any better. My grandmother was the person who guided me away from the bad path after my parents forced me to live with her. They didn't want to deal with a pregnant teenager. And there's no father. He was a high school senior who immediately denied it was his kid. Since then, it's been the three of us together."

Although April appeared genuinely interested in the story, Alex felt uncomfortable. He wasn't sure how to respond nor did he have anything to say to begin with. It was surreal to him that the one woman he had feelings for was hiding a juicy secret too, hers actually more complicated than his. He wanted to walk away, but it was like his shoes were glued to the floor.

An elderly woman with gray hair approached the trio and stopped beside Jo. "Where is your daughter, Josephine? I sent her out to buy a smoothie and she never returned."

"She's buying it right now, Nana," Jo answered before gesturing towards Alex and April. "These are two of my friends from work. This is my grandmother, Jeanette."

April quickly extended her arm and grinned. "Hello, it's nice to meet you! I'm April Kepner." She nodded her head towards her roommate. "And this is Alex Karev. We're surgical residents with Jo at Seattle Grace."

"It's so good to finally meet some of Josephine's doctor friends. And Alex? I've heard a lot about you," Jeanette gushed, shaking April's hand before extending her own to Alex. "She had a lovely time with you last night. Such a gentleman, I hear."

Alex softly snorted. Maybe for one night he had been a gentleman, but that was hardly a strong characteristic of his. He briefly shook the older woman's hand and slightly smiled. "Uh, sure." He suddenly scrambled for his cell phone in his back pocket, pulling it out and pretending to find a text message. "Oh, shoot. I'm being paged to the hospital. I'm on-call and stuff."

"Okay, we should go then," April concurred, then she smiled back at Jeanette. "It was great meeting you."

"Same goes for you. Don't be strangers, you two. Come over to our home when you have the free time," she offered.

"Oh, God," Jo mumbled to herself. Now that her grandmother knew that she actually had friends to entertain, she could no longer make half-assed excuses as to why she never invited any of them over for dinner. It was always about none of them knowing about her daughter more than anything. "I guess I'll see you two at work."

"Of course," April chirped. As she walked past Jo, she waited for her friend to turn around before making a phone with her hand and mouthing to her, "Call me."

Jo quickly nodded. She was grateful that April had been understanding of her situation. Alex, on the other hand, he acted like the few men in the past who had found out – accidentally or deliberately – about Cat. He tried to flee as fast as possible.

* * *

"She has a kid!" Alex said loudly, seated in the passenger seat as April drove them home to their apartment. "She has a freaking kid!"

April sighed in annoyance as she stared straight ahead at the car in front of her. "I know. You've been saying that since we left the mall. And I was there to see her up close and personal. You can stop repeating yourself."

Alex clearly had a more difficult time processing the news compared to his roommate. He thought it was some joke and a camera crew was going to jump out of hiding to tell him that he was on _Candid Camera_. But that would have been too much of a fantasy. The girl was the spitting image of Jo. They could easily pass as sisters.

And her mini-me called him an idiot. She was definitely Jo's daughter.

Although she gave them some answers, he wanted more. He had his own suspicions about why their date ended so awkwardly, but he preferred to hear the truth from Jo's mouth. Her reluctance to date, or even make simple plans with their group of friends, made more sense to him. He couldn't imagine himself raising a child that young. He considered himself lucky that he hadn't knocked up any women during his wild college years. Jo's support system was less than what he had in Iowa, yet she seemed to be juggling surgical residency and raising her daughter pretty well.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a little hurt and betrayed that she lied to him too.

"Jo's one of those _16 and Pregnant_ chicks," Alex bluntly stated. "I bet she would've been on that show if it was around when we were 15 years old."

"Okay, now you're being an idiot," April chided. "Were we speaking to the same person? Jo didn't throw her life away after she got pregnant. Her grandmother obviously prevented her from falling apart. Now she's a _doctor_. Give her some credit."

"Easy for you to say. You didn't go on a date with her," he argued. "Dude, this totally screws things up. Now that I know she has a kid, she's not gonna want to go out with me anymore. She's gonna use her daughter as an excuse."

"That's why you two need to talk when you're alone. Get everything out in the open," she advised. "How do you even know she'll stop dating you? Maybe because you know the truth, she'll be more comfortable… if you're comfortable."

Alex rested his head against the window and sighed. "I need a day or two for this to sink in."

"Also, we are not telling anybody else about this unless Jo gives us the green light," she added. "I'm sure she doesn't want this spreading around at the hospital. I'll pretend I don't know anything when I'm with Jackson."

"Speaking of Jackson, when are you gonna tell him about your own crap?" he muttered. "It's like he knows something's going on, but it's not my job to say what it is because you had me promise not to. You have to tell him eventually about your-"

"Shut up," April cut him off, furrowing her brow. "I will when I'm ready. I'm not there yet."

Alex raised his eyebrow at her. "When _will_ you be ready?"

She quickly shrugged. "I don't know. Tell him about Amber first."

"How?"

"Just tell him he has a sister," she impatiently replied. "Maybe he'll want to meet her. At least he shouldn't have any negative feelings towards her. If you won't tell him, then I will."

"Be my guest."

"Alex! I'm not doing your dirty work for you."

Alex smirked back at April. "Just like I won't do your dirty work for you either," he countered. "Fine. Whenever I get around to telling him about Amber, you tell him what happened at Mayo. Got it?"

April took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Fine."

When they arrived at their apartment building April kept a faster pace than Alex on their way to the front door. She had grown tired of his nonstop ranting about Jo that she wanted to lock herself in her bedroom and drown out his voice with her iPod. She also gave him the task of carrying all of her shopping bags to their apartment, which only made him complain more. They were surprised to find George waiting outside in hallway.

"Hey, George. What are you doing here?" April greeted their coworker.

George simply stood in front of the door with his hands inside of his pockets. "Oh, Avery wanted me to tell you that he set up a date for tonight at seven. He'll pick you up at 6:30. Wear something sexy," he reported, almost as if he had been told to memorize the message. He smiled and added, "If you want my opinion on what type of restaurant, I think the lighting will be dim."

"Dude, this isn't ancient times. We have phones, you know," Alex retorted.

"Well, Avery thought calling her or sending a text would be informal," he explained. "Don't shoot me. I'm just the messenger."

"You mean his servant?"

April cleared her throat and smiled at George. "Don't mind him. He's just being a grumpus today."

Alex groaned. "Did you just call me that stupid word?"

"Anyway," she sternly said, unlocking the front door with her key. "Is that all? You came here to tell me that Jackson planned a date? By the way, tell him that the date is a definite yes."

"Actually, you have the latest issue of _The American Journal of Surgery_ and you promised that I could borrow it," George reminded the redhead as he followed her into the apartment. "So if you don't mind, I'll pick it up now and I'll be on my way."

"No problem! Just wait here in the living room," April politely answered, walking away to her bedroom.

George eyed the various shopping bags Alex set down beside the couch. "Go on a shopping spree?"

"These are all Kepner's," his disgruntled coworker responded before sitting down on the couch. Alex propped his feet up on the coffee table and turned on the TV. "Avery seriously sent you here to deliver a date proposal? What a cheeseball."

"He bought a new shirt and tie for the occasion," George noted. "They haven't been dating long, but I can see how serious he is about her. He's never bought new clothes for a date. His wardrobe isn't actually in need of any upgrades to begin with."

Alex scrunched his nose, glancing back at George. "What's his goal for tonight? To get laid?"

Before the other man could answer, April returned with a medical journal in her hand. She stopped a few feet away from the two men when they both looked at her and their conversation abruptly ended. "Are you talking about me?" she questioned, placing one hand on her hip.

George quickly shook his head. "No. We were talking about… man stuff," he reluctantly answered. Fortunately, Alex nodded to help him out. "Not exactly a subject you would be interested in discussing. It involves, umm… things below the belt."

"Grooming," Alex bluntly stated.

April stared at them in disgust and waved her hand. "I don't want to know." She handed the medical journal to George. "Here you go. Do you want to hang out for a bit?"

"I can't. I have to go run some errands and then help out my mom with some stuff. Thanks for this, though. I'll give it back to you in a couple of days," George replied. "I'll see you at work."

After George left the apartment, April sat down beside Alex. Her roommate was flipping through channels without bothering to find out what was airing on each channel. She grabbed the remote from him and turned off the TV. "How are you feeling now?"

"How do you think I feel?" Alex sneered. "And don't try to dig into my brain like you're a therapist or something."

"I'm just trying to find a way to help," she sighed.

"You can't," he muttered. "There's no easy fix to this, okay? It's all freaking messed up."

The silence in the room was interrupted by a ringing cell phone. April watched Alex pull his phone out of his pocket and stare at the caller ID. "Who is it? Is it Jo?" His lack of response only confirmed it. He tossed it aside and let the call go to his voicemail. "Alex, you have to talk to her soon. She wants to explain everything to you, so give her the chance to do that."

"Can you give it a rest? I'll talk to her when I'm ready, but right now, she's the last person I want to talk to," Alex irritably answered, pushing himself up onto his feet. He retreated to his bedroom hoping a long nap would be the distraction he needed, or at least getting a real page from the hospital would work too.

* * *

Jo reluctantly approached Alex and April's apartment. She had spent the day figuring out what she wanted to tell Alex and how to fix the obvious problem between them. The number of phone calls and texts that were left unanswered confirmed how upset he was with her. They had built a lot of trust in each other as they grew closer as friends, but she worried they were back at square one. Their friends would easily suspect something happened between them if he avoided her at the hospital. She knew a quick fix was impossible, but she hoped he would be willing to forgive her.

She knocked on the front door, nervously waiting for an answer. Rather than seeing an annoyed Alex when the door opened, it was April, who was dressed up for her date with Jackson. She wore a strapless, black dress and she appeared to be scrambling to wear her heels.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were Jackson," April breathlessly greeted Jo. She had panicked and assumed her boyfriend arrived a half an hour early. Now that she knew it wasn't him, she tossed her heels aside. "We have a date tonight."

"I can tell," the brunette murmured as she eyed her friend's outfit. "Is Alex here?"

"Actually, he just slipped out about fifteen minutes ago. Hospital paged him – for real this time."

Jo sighed, frowning at April. "Can I come in anyway?"

"Of course. I mean, I was hoping you would call like I asked, but I'm sure you weren't in the best mood to talk to anybody," she stated, closing the door after her coworker entered the apartment. They both sat down on the couch and remained quiet for a minute before April broke the silence. "So… you're a mother."

Jo slowly nodded. "I am."

"Does Cat understand why you've been hiding her from everybody?"

"Yes, but that doesn't stop her from acting out every once in a while. She's still a kid. She wants to be with her mom more often, but I just don't have the time I want to spend with her," Jo explained. "My grandmother takes her to school before she goes to work. She's a waitress. I told her she doesn't have to work anymore, but she insists on it. Cat usually has activities after school, so she hitches a ride with one of her friends. By the time I come home, she's already in bed. What little time I have with her at night consists of homework or getting into a stupid argument with her."

"And nobody aside from Alex and I know you're her mother?"

Jo shook her head. "Most of the parents I've conversed with at the school think I'm her older sister," she answered. "And people speculate about how supposedly our parents died in a car accident. I wish mine would have. They're awful. They wanted to get rid of me the second I told them I was pregnant."

April sadly smiled at her friend. "Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. You're so close to becoming a surgeon. Maybe this doesn't happen if your parents never sent you away."

"Yeah, I know. But I just feel guilty all of the time, having to lie about a cat I don't actually own. You know I actually _hate_ cats? Hate 'em," she admitted with a laugh. "With Cat's nickname, I thought it wouldn't hurt. When I brought up my imaginary cat I wasn't making up bullshit. When fake cat was sick, Cat was truly sick. There was just a white lie attached to it."

"Are you ever gonna tell anybody else about her?"

"I don't know. I've kept her a secret from everybody for this long, so why not keep it that way? And I don't want anybody using this piece of information against me. Lexie can be cutthroat, you know that first hand."

"But what would she say? That you can't be in the OR for long hours because you have a child to take care of? C'mon, a lot of surgeons have children," April argued.

"I'm tired of people talking, April. Gossiping, talking behind my back like I can't hear them. I've dealt with it for so many years that it's refreshing to not be the center of attention for the wrong reasons," Jo countered. "I can blend in here. You know, some secrets don't have to be told if nobody is snooping for them."

April swallowed hard as her eyes wandered away from her friend. Jo had a point, but what she was hiding from everybody wasn't information she could hide forever. Her reluctance to talk about her time at Mayo hadn't gone unnoticed by her peers. She wanted to have an open and honest relationship with Jackson, but she also wanted to ease him into her past slowly.

* * *

Jackson followed April to her apartment after a successful, romantic date. He had taken her to a French restaurant, and their table by the window provided a beautiful view of Elliott Bay and the Seattle Great Wheel. It was their first formal date and he couldn't be more ecstatic over how it played out. He had even brought her red roses when he arrived at the apartment to pick her up.

There wasn't a special occasion to celebrate. He simply wanted to get dressed up and have a nice meal that neither of them were required to cook. And he was also grateful that she had worn a dress that showed off more skin than he usually saw at work and on their casual dates. He kept that thought to himself, though.

April held his hand as he slightly trailed behind her. She smiled nonstop as she told him a story about a disastrous date that included a Ferris wheel, an obnoxious date and a pile of vomit. "It was so embarrassing! But in retrospect, I'm actually glad I threw up on him because he was such a pig," she babbled. "And that's why I don't ride Ferris wheels anymore."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied with a smirk. Jackson placed his hands on his girlfriend's waist when she opened her purse to search for her house key. He began kissing her shoulder and whispered, "Is Alex home?"

She could feel herself blushing as she gently bit her bottom lip. "I'm not sure."

Whether or not Alex was home, April planned on not holding back anymore. Fortunately, when she pushed open the front door the living room was dark and the apartment was silent. He was likely still at the hospital or sulking at Joe's. She turned around, dropping her purse, as she threw her arms over Jackson's shoulders and kissed him. He immediately reciprocated the kiss, shutting the door with his foot.

She blindly pushed his jacket off of his shoulders on their way to her bedroom. After Jackson kicked her bedroom door closed, he reached for the zipper on the back of her dress, but she suddenly stopped him. "Hey, what's wrong?" he said, pulling away from her. "Are we… not having sex?"

April turned on a lamp beside her bed and anxiously fidgeted with her fingers. "W-we are. I just… umm, sit down first," she instructed. Jackson took a seat on the edge of her bed with a concerned look on his face. She stood two feet away from him. "Before we go through with it, I want to make sure you're okay with something."

"You have three nipples, don't you?" Jackson quipped.

"I'm serious!" she scolded him. "I told you I'm insecure about my body. I'm sure you've noticed that I always wear a tank top underneath my clothes and there's a reason for that."

"Okay. So, why?" he inquired.

April reached behind her back and slowly unzipped her dress. She timidly pushed the material down until it dropped to the floor. Standing in her underwear, there was a visible faded scar along the center of her abdomen. It started an inch below her chest, wrapped around half of her belly button and ended above her pelvic region. Her scar appeared to be about a year old, but her pale skin helped it stand out more than she wanted.

Jackson slightly leaned forward, furrowing his brow as he stared at the scar. "What happened?"

"I took a bad fall at work. It's really stupid how it happened," she nervously laughed. "Missed a step, fell down the stairs, actually knocked myself out. Next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed and they told me I had a splenic rupture that they were able to repair, so I didn't lose my spleen."

"Why were you afraid to tell me this?"

April gestured towards her scar and forced a laugh. "Because it's embarrassing! Clumsy moment led to this ugly scar." She crossed her arms against her abdomen to hide the faded incision line. "I was insecure about my body before the scar and I'm even more insecure about it now."

"And you left Mayo because…" Jackson quickly shook his head. "I don't understand."

"You think people just forget about an incident like that? They don't, especially when it's _me_. Some of the residents never warmed up to me over there. I'm too perky or they think I kissed the attendings' asses too much, but I can't help who I am," she explained. "I wanted to be someplace where I wouldn't be judged and ridiculed for every little thing I did, so I left. Here, I feel better. I mean, Lexie still hates me, but I don't get the same amount of judgment that I received at Mayo. I really like it here. And I really like you, so I hope this ugly scar doesn't turn you off and scare you away."

"Hey, come here," he soothingly said, reaching out and grasping her hand. Jackson pulled her towards him, then he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss against her scar just above her navel. He gazed up at her and smiled. "This doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't make you less attractive to me either. It's just a scar."

April shyly smiled back, grasping Jackson's shoulders. "Just a scar. You're right."

His hands roamed over her backside and down the back of her thighs. "You are so beautiful."

"Thank you," she murmured, climbing onto his lap. "Can we have sex now?"

Jackson snickered and flipped April onto her back, surprising her as she squealed. "We definitely can," he firmly answered before silencing her with a kiss.

* * *

Alex walked out of Seattle Grace Hospital after spending the rest of the afternoon and the evening working on post-ops for Robbins and covering the ER. It had been the distraction he needed. He barely thought about Jo or her secret family members. He had already played the same game and he wasn't interested in being pulled into another one.

Before he reached his car in the parking lot, he spotted Jo waiting for him beside it. He softly groaned and quickly approached her. "What?" he muttered, attempting to open the car door, but she refused to budge. "Can you move?"

"Will you at least talk to me first?" she irritably asked. "You haven't returned any of my calls or texts. When are we going to talk?"

"I don't know. I'm still processing," he impatiently answered. "Now, can you move?"

Jo folded her arms and stood her ground. "No. What you found out about me is basically the same thing with you and Avery. We both kept family members a secret. That makes us even."

"Hardly. Avery and I are barely brothers. You popped out a kid when you yourself were just a freaking kid! That's a big difference," Alex rebuked. "It all makes more sense to me why you didn't want to kiss me after our date, but I'm not gonna play this game with you. Either you want to date me or you don't, but don't send me mixed signals because of your daughter."

"I do want to date you! It's just complicated, as you can see," Jo insisted. "I have to know if you understand that Cat comes first. Always. That you won't walk away because you're not my priority."

Alex pointed at himself. "I'm not ready to be anybody's father."

"And I'm not asking you to be. I just need to know if you're okay with the fact that I have a 12-year old."

Alex slightly furrowed his brow. "When you bailed on that solo surgery what actually happened?"

Jo sighed. "Cat got into a fight at school. My grandmother couldn't leave work, so I had to go over there and convince the principal not to expel her. This was her second fight, but she didn't instigate the first one, so she only had to serve detention for a week," she explained. "Some girl in her class was giving her crap about not having a mother or a father, so she punched her. Kids gossip just as much as adults do. It's worse for her because telling everybody that her 'older sister' is actually her mom will only cause more trouble for her. And I don't want to pull her out of this school. It's a very good private school with an affordable tuition, and she does have friends there. We worked really hard to get her in. She has two more years until high school and by then, I'll be finished with residency. We can start over again when the time comes."

"Start over? You mean move to another state for post-residency work?" Alex questioned. "So if I'm still in the picture, I'm just supposed to pack up and go wherever you choose then?"

"No- well, that's two years from now. Who knows what will happen between us?" Jo took a step forward and softly smiled. "But that doesn't mean we can't try. I want to try, Alex."

Alex inhaled slowly and exhaled. Jo sounded sincere, but he hadn't made up his mind yet. He had never dated a woman with a child nor had he ever been interested in doing so. "I'm gonna have to think about it a little longer," he murmured, stepping around her to get into his car.

Jo decided to surrender for the night and give him the space he wanted. She watched him pull out of the parking lot before walking to her own car and driving herself home.

When Alex arrived home he dropped his bag beside the door as he entered the apartment. He went to the kitchen for a beer and popped the cap open. His stomach was rumbling and he wished he had bought some food on the way home, but his frustrations with Jo distracted him from doing so. He opened the refrigerator hoping there were leftover dinners that April had stored inside. There weren't many options, but he chose a box of chow mein that was about two days old.

Leaning against the counter, Alex skipped heating up his last minute dinner and began digging in with a fork. A minute later, Jackson walked into the kitchen wearing only his boxers. Both men stood in place as they quietly stared at each other.

"I'm just getting a glass of water," Jackson stated, clearing his throat as he passed by. He retrieved a glass from one of the cupboards and served himself water from the sink. He noticed Alex staring at him uncomfortably. "What?"

"You look like a dude who just got laid," Alex noted with a mouthful of food.

The pretty boy sipped some water before he replied, "Not that it's any of your business, but yeah. We had sex. So what?" A smile formed on his face. He sensed Alex would be uncomfortable listening to him talk about how great the sex with April was, but he decided not to rub it in. "And obviously, I saw her scar and it really doesn't bother me."

Alex paused mid-chew, slowly raising his eyebrow. "She told you what happened?"

"Yeah, about how she slipped and fell down the stairs, ruptured her spleen. Other residents never being very welcoming to her over there at Mayo," Jackson confirmed. "That's what happened, right?"

Alex turned his back to Jackson as he reached for his beer on the counter. "Uh, yeah. That's what happened," he mumbled, sipping his beer. "They were pretty crappy."

Jackson finished his water and placed the glass in the sink. "Well, I'm going back to bed. Don't worry about hearing unsavory sounds from the bedroom. April's already asleep," he amusingly said as he left the kitchen. "'Night, Karev."

Alex set the Chinese takeout box on the counter and ran his hands through his hair before resting them against the back of his head. He felt like screaming. Not only was he frustrated with Jo but now, he was feeling the same way about his roommate. "Dammit, April," he whispered to himself.

* * *

 **I know some of you are dying to know more about April, but you won't find out everything until a few chapters later. Let me know what you think, please! :)**


	11. Pressure Cooker

**Thank you for the reviews! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jackson entered the peds ward, stopping by the nurses' station where Alex was standing nearby. They were both working with Robbins and neither of them appeared enthusiastic about working with the peds surgeon. It had nothing to do with her. They just both disliked working with sick children.

Alex barely acknowledged Jackson's presence. He was too distracted by his cell phone. Whoever was texting him every other minute made him angrier as he opened each message only to clear his notifications rather than reply to them. He would stuff his cell phone into his lab coat pocket, then roll his eyes when he felt the vibration alerting him of a new message.

"Freakin' A," he mumbled to himself, pulling his cell phone out one last time to switch it to silent mode.

"You know, instead of ignoring Jo completely, you can just tell her you don't want to date her anymore," Jackson suggested, eying his coworker after checking e-mails on his own phone. "I have no idea what's going on between you two, but April told me you haven't been talking since that date."

"Yeah, well, shit happens," Alex murmured. "And for the record, that wasn't Jo. Just someone who won't stop bugging me about crap you wouldn't care about. Whatever."

Jackson wondered if that someone Alex was referring to was Dalton Avery. It made sense to him that his coworker would withhold his identity from him. He knew talking about their father – just the idea that they could both call him Dad made him uncomfortable – was a subject he preferred to avoid. But certain questions he kept to himself continued to bother him.

Was Dalton asking about him? Did he know his son was working in Seattle with his _other_ son? Was _he_ considered the other son?

He wasn't about to pry, especially while Alex was in a visibly bad mood. That didn't lessen his curiosity, though.

"Hey, do you know what April would like for Christmas?" Jackson asked, changing the subject. "She told me it was her favorite holiday, so I'm feeling a bit of pressure to get her something. I know we haven't been dating long, but it's been good so far and I want to give her a present."

Alex quickly shrugged. Having to listen to Jackson rave about his relationship with April only made him bitter. "A stupid looking stuffed pig would make her happy."

"Did she get anything for me?" he inquired, drawing an unimpressed look from the other man. "Not that I'm expecting her to give me something for Christmas. She doesn't have to. I mean, it would be okay…"

"Dude, you're rambling just like she normally does," Alex noted with a smirk. "If you wanna get her something, then do it. She appreciates just about everything you do. It's not like you have to continue to impress her with fancy dates and your penis."

Jackson scoffed, shaking his head. "That's not my intention. Well, I'm glad she doesn't have a problem with this," he playfully stated and gestured towards his lower region with a grin on his face.

"Give me a break," Alex groaned. "I don't want or need to know about your sex life."

"I was having a dry spell. Let me gloat a bit." Jackson didn't want to admit it, but he hadn't slept with a woman since the end of his second year of residency. He had plenty of opportunities to do so, yet he purposely restrained himself because of Lexie. She had intimidated many of the women who caught his eye and scared them off. Until April arrived at Seattle Grace, she was his unofficial chastity belt. "Maybe your uptightness is due to your lack of action."

"I get action," Alex defensively replied.

"With what? Your hand?" he chuckled, receiving a scowl from his coworker. "Because it doesn't seem like you've been getting any from Wilson, so unless you have someone on the side, you're full of it."

Arizona glided towards the two men on her Heelys. She greeted them with a bright smile after interrupting their banter. "Ah, I've been waiting for this day. Having you both is like Christmas for me, especially now that I've finally gotten you on my service, Karev. We are going to have some fun today," she enthusiastically stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alex cautiously asked.

"Well, considering I have two residents who love to talk smack about pediatric surgery and the tiny humans we heal, as your attending, I'm going to make the most out of having you on my service," she gleefully responded. "Now, follow me. We have a lot of patients to check up on this morning."

Both Alex and Jackson eyed each other with pouts on their faces after Arizona turned away. A whole day of peds together was going to be dreadful.

* * *

April finished treating a patient in the ER and walked to the nearest biohazard bin to throw away her trash. She barely had her gloves removed when somebody pulled her into a supply closet. Jo closed the door behind her and smiled at her. "Okay, this has happened to me before and I didn't like it the first time," she agitatedly said. "And why are you smiling at me?"

"Can you please talk to Alex?" the brunette requested with a hopeful tone.

"He's still not talking to you? I know it's only been a couple of days, but I can't do the talking for you," April regretfully replied. "And trust me, I've tried. He's too stubborn to listen, so I'm not sure I can help you with this."

Jo sighed disappointedly. She thought if anybody could break through Alex's thick skull, it would be his roommate. She wasn't sure how April was so good at convincing him to do something, but she was very good at it. "I'm getting desperate. It sounds pathetic, but I am. And you know what he did? Last night, he replied to one of my texts with 'New phone, who dis?' after ignoring all of my other messages. Seriously, he said that! And I know he hasn't changed phones," she complained. "I shouldn't be punished for telling him the truth."

"He's not punishing you. Alex is... processing," the redhead reluctantly answered.

"Still? No. He's not processing, he's avoiding," Jo corrected her friend. "I didn't murder anybody or rob hundreds of banks. I have a daughter. That's not something you shut a person out for."

"He's mostly hurt that you lied."

Jo softly groaned. "I lied to everybody, so why does it matter? Those people still don't know about Cat. And you know, he told me about Amber. I know Avery has a sister, but I haven't told him because I'm being a loyal friend by waiting until Alex tells him himself." She paused, then she grimaced. "Wait. You know about his sister, right?"

April smiled and nodded. "You're not breaking any rules. What did he tell you about her?"

"Not much. She plays collegiate volleyball and that's about it."

"What? That's more than what he told me!" April whined. "All I knew was her name. I should definitely interrogate him next time we have a conversation. I'm his best friend. I should know more about his family aside from their names-"

Jo snapped her fingers to cut off April's rambling, then she pointed at herself. "Worry about that later. We're talking about me right now," she reminded her with a forced smile. "Is there anything else I can do? I'm out of ideas."

April glanced down at her pager after it alerted her. She opened the door as she checked the page. "Umm, pray and hope that he comes around?" she lazily replied on her way out.

"Thanks for the tip!" she sarcastically responded before leaving the supply closet.

* * *

"Boring… boring… boring…"

Jackson rolled his eyes as he used a remote control to flip through the various channels on the TV. "Tommy, we've looped the stations twice now. Pick something that isn't considered boring already," he impatiently said. Somehow, he got stuck with channel surfing duty, while Alex was being a real doctor and drawing their patient's blood. "There aren't any cartoons on, bud."

"But there are channels that only show cartoons! How can this hospital not have any of those?" the 7-year old complained. "My mama said that this was the best hospital, but you guys don't even get the Cartoon Network?"

"Dude, your failing kidneys are more important than freaking cartoons," Alex nonchalantly replied. "Luckily, you'll be getting new ones soon, so you can watch all of the cartoons you want during your recovery."

Jackson stopped on ESPN and set the remote on a table. "There. You can watch these guys analyze last night's game between the Mariners and the Yankees." He smiled to himself when Tommy groaned loudly. "What? Not into sports?"

"You're a d-bag. I don't know what that is, but I know it means a bad thing, but that's what you are," Tommy retorted. He smugly grinned when Jackson turned around and scowled at him. "D-bag!"

Alex snickered as he finished drawing blood from the young boy. "I like this kid."

"Makes sense. He could almost pass as your own because your personalities are alike," Jackson scoffed.

"Somebody's jealous that he didn't get to do real doctor work," Alex playfully stated, flashing a cheesy smile at Tommy and making him laugh. "Anyway, nice job at not moving when I drew your blood."

Tommy quickly shrugged. "I'm used to it now." His comment drew a sad smile from Jackson. "But my older brother screams when he gets poked by a needle. It's so funny. Do you have brothers or sisters?"

"Nope," the pretty boy answered without hesitation, exchanging a look with Alex.

Alex looked back at Tommy and nodded. "Yeah, I do."

Arizona entered the room with a bright smile on her face. "How are we doing in here, Tommy? Are these two giving you a hard time?"

"Dr. Karev didn't hurt me with the needle like the other one from yesterday. I barely felt a thing!" Tommy excitedly answered, then he pointed at Jackson and scowled. "But Dr. Avery wouldn't let me watch cartoons. He's not good at finding them."

Jackson pursed his lips as Arizona smirked at him. "Well, I'm sure Dr. Avery would love to take your blood samples to the lab since you're having so much fun with Dr. Karev," she responded with a playful tone. She nodded her head towards the sample in Alex's hand. Jackson sighed, taking the sample from him before leaving the room.

"Your mother should be back from the cafeteria any minute now, but Dr. Karev and I are going to leave and we'll be back later," the pediatric surgeon said, leading Alex out of the room. They stood by the nurses' station and she couldn't stop smiling at her resident. "I knew it."

"Knew what?" Alex asked, visibly confused.

"That you would be one of the good ones," Arizona enthusiastically answered. "I mean, the first day we worked together you were having none of it, but since Tommy's arrival, nobody's ever put him in a good mood like that. With his kidney failure and UNOS taking a little longer than we had hoped to find him new ones, it's nice to see him smiling for a moment. Thank you for that."

Alex immediately brushed off the compliment. "Nah, I didn't do anything. Kid didn't cry when I stuck him with a needle. Whatever," he dismissed. "He was too distracted by Avery screwing with the TV."

Arizona raised her eyebrow at him. "Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"You act like receiving a compliment is as bad as a root canal," she quipped, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Listen, just because I have a positive attitude and smile a lot it doesn't mean I'm easy to impress. Pediatric surgery is hard. We put on smiles, so the kids we're treating aren't afraid of being in a hospital. Because sometimes, they don't even make it out alive. It's our job to assure them that everything will be fine, even when they won't be."

"Okay," Alex muttered. "I never pictured myself being a peds surgeon, though."

Arizona laughed. "Neither did I, but here I am." She patted Alex's shoulder. "Think about it, Karev. Pediatric surgery isn't for everybody, but I think you have the potential to be a very good one. Just tweak your attitude a bit, would ya?"

Alex scrunched his face as Arizona walked past him. One happy child wasn't going to persuade him into specializing in pediatric surgery. He considered himself lucky that his patient actually liked him. He never thought he and children were a good combination, and he wasn't sure if that idea would change anytime soon.

* * *

After Jackson dropped off Tommy's blood sample at the lab, he took a detour downstairs to the coffee cart. He used the stairwell to return to the peds floor rather than the elevator and crossed paths with Jo halfway up to his destination. She stopped abruptly on the stairs and he had to catch her with his free arm when she almost stumbled forward. "Whoa, you wanna rupture your spleen?"

"Huh?" Jo replied with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Nothing. Nevermind," he laughed.

She stepped in front of her colleague before he could leave. "You're working with Karev today, right?"

"More like he's getting the good stuff and I take the scraps," Jackson muttered. "Why?"

Jo pressed her palms together in front of her chin. "Could you talk to him for me, please?" she politely asked, smiling back at him. "It would mean a lot to me if you did."

Jackson shook his head. "I'm not cleaning up the mess between you two… whatever it is," he declined, sipping his coffee. "What happened anyway? You and Karev were getting along well, which is almost surprising."

"It's complicated. And what do you mean by surprising?"

"There have been men with better manners who have turned you off. He seems like the type you'd want to avoid at all times because he's an ass."

"Actually, he can be really sweet when you look past his grouchy demeanor. And he's different when he's not around you. You two barely get along because you're pissed at your dad." Jo rested her hand on Jackson's shoulder and pleaded, "Can you just try to talk to him? Tell him that if he won't talk to me, you'll… you'll beat him up."

"This isn't third grade, and I'm not going to force Karev to talk to you either." Jackson mischievously smiled at Jo. "Unless, you tell me why you two are suddenly not speaking to each other."

Jo felt tempted to push Jackson down the stairs, but it would have been out of selfishness. She was still trying to recover from Alex and April accidentally finding out about her daughter. Despite the amount of banter they exchanged, she considered Jackson to be trustworthy. She hoped she wouldn't be making a mistake by letting another person in on her secret.

She turned around, nodding her head towards the door leading into the hallway. "Follow me."

He was very curious as to what his coworker wanted to tell him. Since she couldn't tell him out in the open, it had to be something she would probably ask him to take to his grave, or until she announced the news to everyone else. They entered an empty on-call room. Jo had even locked the door to avoid any unwanted visitors.

Jo began pacing back and forth in front him while also trying to control her breathing. She feared she might have a panic attack because she was so nervous. "This is going to be shocking. Yeah, probably shocking. I'm sure anybody who knows me would be shocked," she spoke at a rapid pace. "Promise me you won't freak out, or judge me or anything."

"It would help if you stop pacing and relax," Jackson advised, grabbing her shoulders and turning her body to face his. He allowed her to take a few deep breaths to help calm herself down. "You good now?"

She slowly nodded before she finally admitted, "I have a daughter. She's 12 years old."

Jackson's eyes widened upon hearing the news. "I actually can't tell if you're screwing with me right now," he murmured.

"I'm not," she insisted, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. Jo opened the most recent photo of Cat and showed it to him. "Here she is. Her name is Caterina, but she mostly goes by Cat. If the resemblance still doesn't convince you that she's my daughter, then I don't know what else to tell you."

"Oh, I definitely believe you now," he softly chuckled. "So you had her really young."

"Two weeks before my 16th birthday," Jo timidly answered. "I was stupid. My parents weren't PTA type of people, so they hadn't been the greatest influences growing up. Since I got pregnant, I've been living with my grandmother. She helped me raise Cat while I was in school and she continues to help me today."

Jackson slightly furrowed his brow. "And this is why Karev stopped talking to you?"

"He and April found out by accident. Yes, April knows too. We ran into each other at the mall over the weekend. I didn't have much of a choice but to confess the truth when Cat showed up by my side. I didn't want her to assume I'm ashamed of her by lying about who she is to my friends. I mean, she's pretty aware that I hide her from everybody, which probably makes me a crappy mother."

"No, you're not," Jackson disagreed. "She looked happy in that picture. I don't know what it's like at home for you, but it seems to me you've been doing a good job. You try to be there for her, right? My mother hardly tried. She thought buying me a new car for my birthday or leaving me money to buy my own dinner after school was enough. I can't say my life was crappier than yours. It probably wasn't, but I'm sure you tried your best and it's been paying off."

Jo softly smiled. "I do try my best. I don't know what to do with Alex, though. It's like he thinks I'm trying to trap him because Cat's father has never been in the picture. Honestly, I'm not."

"Well, you having a daughter doesn't bother me. If he can't accept that part of you, then maybe he's not the guy you thought he was."

"Thanks, but I think he's just scared. I have no idea what to do, though," she dejectedly replied.

"Try to talk to him one more time. And if he continues to be stubborn, then _maybe_ I'll talk to him myself," Jackson offered. "But I don't want to intrude. He'll likely ignore me too, or maybe even serve some payback and punch me in the face."

Jo waved her hand and smiled. "Oh, please. Your face will still be pretty if he does," she teased, then she gave her friend a hug. "Thank you for understanding. Please don't tell anybody about Cat, okay? I want to ease people into the news slowly."

"Sure, no problem. Thanks for telling me." Jackson pulled away from Jo and smirked. "Does this mean you'll stop giving me crap for no reason?"

"No, I'll continue to do that," she smugly answered. They both stepped out of the on-call room and were greeted by Lexie's suspicious stare as she passed through the hallway. Their coworker stopped in front of them with her arms folded. "Hey, Lex!"

"Hey," Lexie slowly responded, her eyes switching back and forth between Jackson and Jo. "What are you up to?"

Jo knew exactly what Lexie was thinking. She needed to debunk her suspicions quickly. Before Jackson could answer, she blurted out, "A wart. Avery was showing me a wart on his ass." Her male friend was unimpressed as he shot a glare at her. "He's- he's very embarrassed about it. I recommended him to go see the folks at Dermatology."

Jackson cleared his throat, forcing a smile. "In fact, I'm heading over there right now." He looked back at Jo and nodded once. "Thanks for checking that. I knew it was a damn wart."

The twosome parted ways, heading separate directions as fast as possible while leaving a very confused Lexie behind.

* * *

Following a late lunch, April was on her way downstairs to the pit when she was pulled into a supply closet. Thinking it was Jo again, she threw her arms up in frustration. "Jo, I already told you that I'm not going to fix your problems with Alex. You'll just have to face his wrath and suck it up!" When she turned around she found Jackson standing in front of her instead. She sheepishly grinned and approached him. "Oh. Hi, Jackson!"

Jackson didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around April's waist and greet her with a kiss. "How's it going in the pit today?"

"Not much. Kind of slow. I've only treated patients with minor injuries," she answered. Her boyfriend's lips were attacking her neck and she figured he wasn't in the mood for a conversation. "Umm… shouldn't you be checking on some kids in Peds?"

"I will. Karev's got them covered for the most part." He returned to her mouth and gently pushed her towards the farthest shelf in the closet. "And I'm sure Robbins doesn't miss me. Spending time with you for five minutes is more productive to my day."

April giggled as Jackson moved back down to her neck. "You're being extra affectionate today. Is it because we finally had sex?"

"Maybe, but that's not entirely why," he murmured in between kisses. "I enjoy being around you, that's all."

"Well, I can't object to your reasoning," she happily replied, grasping his head and pulling him towards her to kiss him again. "I wish Jo and Alex could work out. Poor guy seems a bit miserable and she's going into panic mode."

"Yeah, well, a kid does create some obstacles." Jackson softly laughed when April instantly pulled away from him and stared at him with wide eyes. "Don't worry. She told me about it earlier. I know about her daughter. I won't say word to anybody else."

April let out a sigh of relief, resting her forehead against Jackson's shoulder. "Oh, good. It was difficult for me to keep that a secret from you. Alex hardly ever wants to talk about it, so I have nobody to discuss this with." She raised her head to look at him. "What do you think about it?"

"I'm cool with it. I'm flattered that she confided in me because I sometimes think she secretly loathes me," he amusingly answered. "Seems that's not the case now. And before I forget, if you happen to see Lexie and she claims there's something going on between Jo and I, don't believe her. She caught us leaving an on-call room, so she might try to get inside your head with lies."

"Okay, I trust you. What excuse did you give her?"

Jackson ducked his head, scratching the back of his neck. "Jo said I have a wart on my ass that she was taking a look at," he muttered. He could hear his girlfriend snickering and he added, "Hey, if it was legit, I would be worried about you giving it to me."

She playfully slapped his shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Thankfully, it's not. Anyway, I should return to the pit before Hunt realizes I've been gone for more than half an hour."

"Do you want to get a bite to eat after work? Maybe just head over to Joe's?" he proposed.

"Sure! See you later, Jackson!" April chirped, then she stood on the tips of her toes to give Jackson a quick peck on the lips before leaving the supply closet.

* * *

Alex stepped out of an elevator after reaching the fifth floor. He spent the majority of the day sitting in Tommy's room, keeping an eye on him when his mother left to pick up his siblings from school and letting him watch cartoons on the channel Jackson purposely skipped past earlier that morning. Regardless of what Arizona had told him, one kid who didn't vomit all over his scrubs and talk back to him wasn't a sign he was meant for pediatric surgery. Sure, he liked the 7-year old, but he knew not all of the sick children in the hospital were well-behaved like him. The day just happened to be good to him.

And he had way too many things on his mind to be relieved that his shift was over. Everybody just seemed to be driving him crazy with their compliments, requests and never ending text messages.

He entered the locker room where April was changing out of her scrubs. "Hey, what are you up to tonight?"

"I'm going to Joe's with Jackson. He can take me home if you don't want to join us," the redhead answered, turning around to face her roommate. "Have you talked to Jo yet?"

"No, and I don't intend to." Alex approached April and stood in front of her. "And don't nag me about avoiding her either. I have Robbins praising me for how I was in Peds today, Jo won't leave me and my phone alone, my sister keeps bugging me about meeting Avery and you haven't exactly been honest with him. You chicks are all driving me crazy!"

April raised her hand in front of her chest. "What do you mean I haven't been honest with Jackson?" she retorted.

He pointed towards her abdomen. "That! Your scar. You lied to him."

"I did not lie," she argued, looking away from him. "I… told him some of the truth. But why does it matter? He's not bothered by it, and he was extremely charming towards me after I showed it to him. He doesn't have to know everything."

"Yes, he does. That's what you freaking do in relationships. You tell the truth," Alex chided.

"Speak for yourself! You haven't told Jackson about Amber," April reminded him. "And I think you're acting childish towards Jo. She deserves better treatment than what you're doing to her. You ignoring her at all times, get over it! She told you the truth and you're punishing her for it. You're being a coward."

Jackson entered the locker room to find Alex and April bickering back and forth. He immediately intervened, stepping in between them. "What's the problem here?" he asked, furrowing his brow at the other man.

"There's no problem," April calmly insisted.

"If this is about Jo and her kid, I know about it. She told me," Jackson informed him. "But I'm not sure why you two are yelling at each other. Well, I suppose I have an idea since Jo came to me to address her problem with you, Karev."

Alex groaned. "Geez, what is she doing? Rallying all of you to corner me until I talk to her? Both of you can butt out of it." He gestured towards April. "By the way, she has something she needs to tell you."

"Alex!" she angrily responded. She couldn't believe he would throw her under the bus so quickly. Jackson turned around to face her and waited for her to speak. "Okay. We were fighting because you have a sister that Alex has had trouble telling you about. You have a younger sister, Jackson."

Alex covered his face with his hand as he shouted expletives in his head. Now, Jackson was facing him again, a stern look on his face. "Dude, it's true," he confessed and sighed. "Her name's Amber. She was born after my mom and Dalton married, so she's more related to you than I'll ever be."

"And you knew this?" Jackson asked April. "How long have you known?"

"I only found out on your birthday after that huge blow up with your mother," April replied, nervously biting down on her bottom lip. "After all of these years of knowing Alex, I didn't know he had a sister either up until that point. And I only knew her name. Oh, and she plays volleyball at North Carolina, but I found that out from Jo-"

"She wants to meet you," Alex interrupted. "The person texting me all morning was Amber. She's trying to crash here for Christmas because she's interested in meeting you. I wasn't sure what to tell her since I hadn't told you yet."

Jackson wasn't sure what to think at that moment. For Catherine, having one child was enough. She wasn't willing to sacrifice her work hours to be a full-time mother. That could be another reason why Dalton bailed on her, not that it excused him for the lack of communication between them. His father had raised _two_ kids, which only made him even more pissed at him.

He couldn't really blame Alex for hiding it from him, though. The news of their connection had only just died down and nobody seemed to care that much anymore. This was bigger news for him.

"April, I'm just going to change, then we can head over to Joe's," he nonchalantly said, walking to his cubby.

Alex and April exchanged confused looks with each other. Jackson was acting as if he hadn't just heard life changing news. "Are you okay? If you're not in the mood to go to Joe's, then we don't have to," she said, appearing concerned. "I mean, this is a big deal."

"It's fine. I'm fine. We can still go," Jackson insisted, smiling back at her. He looked at Alex, who was staring down at his shoes. "And you can come too, Karev. I'd love to hear about any other secret family members of mine."

"Forget it," Alex mumbled, walking to his own cubby. "I'm calling it a night."

It had been a long day and he wasn't interested in being mocked. He mainly just wanted to be left alone for a change. He quickly changed out of his scrubs and left the locker room in a hurry. Impatiently pressing the down button of the elevator, he didn't want to have to share it with April and Jackson. He could live without the awkward silence during the short trip to the first floor.

When the elevator arrived, the doors opened and Alex hesitated to walk inside when he saw Jo. He cleared his throat, stepping into the elevator as she exited. However, she took a step back and blocked the exit as the doors closed behind her. The elevator started to descend to the first floor, but she pulled the emergency stop causing it to come to a sudden halt.

"What the hell?" he irritably said.

"I'm done with your crap, Alex. If this is how I have to get you to listen to me, then so be it," Jo sternly stated with her arms folded. "My daughter means the world to me, and I'm not going to let you make me feel bad about sharing that part of my life with you. I know you understand what you're getting yourself into by dating me, so if you are done, then tell me right now. I'm not going to chase you anymore. Got it?"

They stood in silence face to face. Alex suddenly grasped Jo's waist, planting a hard kiss on the lips. He carefully pressed her body against the wall and her backside pushed the emergency stop back into its place, causing the elevator to operate again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss until the elevator arrived on the first floor.

He stepped back when the doors opened and he smirked at her wide-eyed facial expression. "Goodnight."

Jo felt the rush of warmth in her cheeks as Alex walked out of the elevator. She pressed the button to return her to the fifth floor, smiling contently as the doors closed.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think, please! Up next: another encounter with the cat ;)**


	12. The Ultimate Test

**Thank you for the reviews! I've really enjoyed reading your different opinions on the same situations :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A young girl entered the emergency room wearing a school uniform and her backpack hung over one shoulder. She scanned the area before approaching the first person she assumed was a doctor, which happened to be George. He was seated behind the nurses' station as he typed information into a computer. "Excuse me," she politely said. "I'm looking for a Dr. Alex."

George's eyes remained glued to the computer screen and softly laughed. "Which one? There are more than one doctor whose first name is Alex."

"Umm, it starts with a K, I think?"

"Karev?"

"Yep! That's his name. Where can I find him?"

"You actually have to get this information from the main lobby. If you want, I can take you there when I'm finished…" George finally glanced up at the girl standing across from him. He rapidly blinked his eyes multiple times because he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The girl was the spitting image of Jo. "…here. Whoa."

Cat slightly tilted her head, scrunching her face. "What?"

He quickly snapped out of it, shaking his head. "Nothing. It's- it's nothing," the third year resident stammered. "You just look very familiar, that's all."

"I've heard that before. Anyway, can you tell me where Dr. Karev is? I need to talk to him."

"Well, I can't exactly let you wander off to find him. It's possible he's busy with patients or in the OR, which you are _not_ allowed to go near unless you're the one being operated on," George informed her. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone. "How about I send him a text, and we can wait and see if he's available?"

He fully expected an answer from the 12-year old, but received nothing. When he looked up from his phone she was gone. George shot up from his seat, carefully scanning the area for her. She was nowhere to be found.

George checked his watch as he sat down again. It was late in the afternoon and he had been awake since five o'clock in the morning. Perhaps he was hallucinating, he thought. He placed his arms on the countertop and rested his forehead on top of them.

"You okay, George?" April questioned after she arrived at the nurses' station. Her friend raised his head and she giggled at the imprint of his watch on his forehead. "Tired?"

He rubbed his eyes as he sat upright. "Something bizarre just happened. This girl came in searching for Karev, but get this – she looked almost exactly like Jo. She was Jo in a school uniform!"

April forced herself to smile, but deep inside she was already panicking. "What kind of dreams have you had lately? Jo in a school uniform? That's such a cliché high school wet dream," she teased.

"It wasn't a dream! I swear, I saw a girl who looked like Jo and she talked to me," George insisted. "Or I need to have my eyes checked."

"I think it's the latter," she assured him, patting his shoulder. "The pit is looking slow right now, so I'm gonna get something at the vending machine. You want anything?"

"No, thanks. I'm fine." George looked around the room and sighed. "That girl, though. It's like nobody else saw her walk in and suddenly, she's just gone. I don't sound crazy, right?"

April shook her head. "Not at all. I'll be right back." She casually left the ER and her face changed into a panicked expression once she was a good distance away. "Oh, crap."

* * *

Alex received a page asking him to go to one of the conference rooms on the second floor. He wasn't sure what it was about. He was positive he hadn't done anything to upset any of the attendings, but in the back of his mind, he wondered if he had unintentionally pissed someone off. When he found the conference room number paged to him he immediately went inside, closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to see me-" He didn't even know who he was speaking to, but it was more of a natural reaction that a superior was waiting for him. Instead, he found Cat sitting at the opposite end of the table with a notebook in front of her. "What are you doing here? Does your mom know you're here?"

"No, and I'm here to talk to you, Alex," the young girl calmly replied.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, furrowing his brow at her. "It's Dr. Karev when I'm working. Why are you here?"

Cat folded her hands on top of the table. "Because you're trying to date my mom and I have to make sure you're good enough for her," she firmly stated. "She's been raving about you to Nana, but that doesn't mean I'm giving you an easy pass. My mom deserves someone nice and respectful. And I have a bunch of questions for you to answer. It won't take long. I only have fifty questions."

"You made a list? Look, I don't have time for this shi… stuff," Alex impatiently responded. "I have more important things to do than be interrogated by a freaking 12-year old."

"Oh, so my mom isn't that important to you?" she insinuated, smirking back at him.

"That's- that's not what I meant," he timidly replied. "Dude, you're not supposed to be here. When she finds out-"

"She won't because you're not gonna tell her," she interrupted.

Alex scoffed. "And what? I become a liar? I thought you were trying to see if I'm good enough to date your mom. I'm not gonna lie to her just so you can make some BS excuse that I'm bad for her." He turned around and headed towards the door. "She should know you're here."

Cat jumped up onto her feet. "If you tell her I'm here, then I'm gonna tell her that you touched me inappropriately!" she warned him. "And if you open that door, I'll start screaming."

"We're close enough to the psych ward. They won't know the difference," Alex insisted. Truthfully, they were nowhere near the area, but he hoped a scare tactic might rattle Cat a bit. However, she appeared unconvinced and the icy stare she gave him actually started to make him uncomfortable. "Fine. Twenty minutes and then I'm calling Jo."

"She's not supposed to know I'm here! I'll get in trouble!" she whined.

Alex pulled out a chair from his end of the table and sat down. "Tough luck. Either you ask me the questions and I tell your mom you're here, or you don't ask me anything at all and I still tell her that you're here. Which way do you want to go?"

Most 12-year old girls would probably be scared of him, but not Cat. She was a tough cookie just like her mother. But he knew allowing a preteen to call the shots would lead to something humiliating later, so he had to ensure that he was in charge. Also, bonding with Jo's daughter was necessary. If he managed to end up on her good side, especially since their first meeting likely left a bad impression on her, then she wouldn't be a giant hurdle in his relationship with Jo.

"Okay, what do you got for me?" he asked.

Cat glanced down at her open notebook, then she mischievously grinned at Alex. "Question number one: Do you plan on doing it with my mom?"

"Christ," Alex mumbled to himself. He knew there would be a catch. She was going to make him feel highly uncomfortable as a test to see if he can tolerate her. "You're digging into every detail, aren't you?"

"These are just basic questions. We're all adults here."

"You're not an adult. You're 12," he chided. "What do you even know about sex?"

"I know a lot more than you think. We've already done sex ed in school. You think I'm stupid, don't you? And my mom isn't the type to tell me that babies come from the stork, so don't even try to sugarcoat anything with me," Cat cheekily replied.

Alex scrunched his face in discontent. "Are you seriously 12 years old? Because you talk more like a snotty 16-year old. And trust me, I know how they talk. My kid sister was that age at one time." He decided to return to the original question and added, "By the way, certain things shouldn't be any of your business, so let's move on to the next question."

Cat wrote a note beside her question and said out loud, "Has no balls." Alex simply rolled his eyes in response. "Next question: How many women have you dated before my mom?"

That was a question Alex definitely refused to answer. It would probably be the end of his relationship with Jo, and her daughter would think he was a disgusting person. When he thought about it now, he preferred a rectal exam over an interrogation with his new girlfriend's daughter.

* * *

April found herself in quite the dilemma. Because only a few people in the hospital were aware of Jo's daughter, she couldn't go around asking if anybody saw a 12-year old girl who looked like her friend. She was unable to get in contact with Jo. The brunette was assisting Amelia Shepherd in one of the ORs. She hoped Alex would answer his phone, but she received nothing on the other end. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that Cat was still somewhere in the hospital, but it felt like a wild goose chase searching for her.

In order to avoid suspicious stares from the other people working in the hospital, April casually checked each door that led to an on-call room, a supply closet or a conference room. She would increase the pace of her steps when the hallways were empty and slow down when she wasn't alone. The first floor was clear, so she made her way to the second floor. She wasn't receiving any pages from the emergency room, so she figured nothing was happening downstairs.

Like on the first floor, the redhead began opening and closing doors without any luck. She stood in front of an on-call room where voices could be heard inside. April took a deep breath before opening the door and taking a step inside. However, she immediately gasped and covered her eyes with her hand when she found Mark in bed with a woman whose face was obscured by the blanket.

"Oh, gosh! I-I'm sorry!" she panicked.

"Will you shut the damn door?" the plastic surgeon furiously shouted.

April nodded quickly, blindly stepping back into the hallway. "Again, I'm really sorry." She moved her hand away from her face, then she noticed Lexie peeking out from behind the blanket. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at her coworker. "Lexie?"

"Get out!" Mark retorted, scowling at her.

April closed the door and leaned back against the wall. Her eyes remained wide open as she tried to process – mostly attempt to erase – the scene she accidentally walked into. It was understandable that Lexie would try to move on from Jackson, but with Mark Sloan? She wondered how Jackson would feel about it, but she thought it would be wise not to tell him.

Once she regained her composure, she began searching for Cat. As she rounded a corner, she nearly bumped into Jackson. He gently grasped her shoulders before she could run into him.

"Hey, where are you off to?" he greeted his girlfriend with a smile. "Aren't you working downstairs in the pit?"

"I am, but I'm on a break." She bit down on her bottom lip, contemplating whether or not to ask for help in finding Cat. "What are you up to right now?"

Jackson moved his hands down to April's, intertwining his index fingers with hers. "Just finished with Altman's post-ops. I was going to head over to the OR galleries to see if there are any good surgeries to watch. You want to join me?"

"I'd like to, but I probably shouldn't. I'm sort of looking for somebody."

"Who's somebody? It's not a guy, is it?" he playfully asked, moving in closer so their mouths were inches apart.

April softly laughed, shaking her head. "No, not a guy. But if it was, would you be jealous?"

"Depends why you're looking for him," Jackson murmured, leaning in for a quick kiss. He took her hand and led her down the hallway. "You know, forget about the surgeries. I have a better idea."

She scrunched her nose wondering where they were going. Just as he was about to open the door to the same on-call room Mark and Lexie were in, she stepped in front of him and sheepishly grinned. "Not that one. I saw Chief Bailey walk into this one. She might be sleeping."

"Oh. Well, let's find a different room," he nonchalantly answered.

"If I'm thinking about what you're thinking, I'm not so sure that's a great idea," April nervously replied. "I mean, isn't it frowned upon? We're on the job!"

Jackson snickered as they entered another hallway. "Don't worry. It'll be fine." He found an empty on-call room and allowed April to walk inside before he followed. He leaned in to kiss her, but she pressed her hand against his mouth.

"Can we talk about the other night first?" As much as she felt guilty about ruining the mood for him, the topic needed to be addressed no matter how upset he would become over it. "Your sister. You acted like you didn't just find out you have a sister."

He pursed his lips as he leaned against the door. "What am I supposed to do? Celebrate? Be proud of the fact that my father procreated with another woman after he left my mother? My feelings aren't black and white about this. It's complicated."

April brought Jackson to the bed and forced him to sit down with her. "Well, can't you at least talk about your feelings with me? I want to help any way I can, but I can't do anything if you won't tell me what's on your mind."

"I don't know. It's weird. My mother didn't seem to have any interest in giving me siblings, even after my father left. It's like popping out one child was enough of an accomplishment for her." Jackson frowned as he stared down at his shoes. "Why couldn't my dad have just taken me with him?"

"It probably wasn't that simple," she suggested, rubbing her boyfriend's back. "But would you be open to meeting Amber?"

Jackson sighed, then he slowly nodded. "I did think about it after I went home. I suppose it wouldn't hurt." He looked up at April. "But that doesn't mean I hate my father any less. They're two different people and I don't have to cut him slack just because he gave me a sister."

April softly smiled back at him. "That's fine. I'm just happy you're willing to meet her." He leaned in once again to kiss her. For a moment, he was successful as she melted against his lips, but then she quickly returned to reality and pulled away from him. "I'm looking for Cat, Jo's daughter. I think she's somewhere in the hospital."

"What? Why is she here?"

"I don't know. George said she was looking for Alex, but he was also close to freaking out because he couldn't believe what he saw. I had to convince him that he was imagining things, but I'm not sure he completely bought that," she anxiously explained. "I tried calling Alex. He didn't answer. If they're together, I want to find them before the wrong person does and assumes the worst case scenario, like he's some child molester-"

"Calm down. I'll help you find her, okay?" Jackson assured her, gently squeezing her shoulders.

April sighed as she nodded. "I've already checked the first floor. I was in the middle of searching through this floor, but then I walked into-" She paused, almost forgetting she couldn't tell Jackson about Mark and Lexie. "You. And I got a little sidetracked."

"Hey, don't blame this on me," he chuckled. "Can you really blame me for being in a better mood when I run into my girlfriend at work?"

The redhead laughed, resting her forehead against Jackson's shoulder. "I promise I'll make it up to you tonight," she insisted. She raised her head and grasped his cheeks. "Come over to my place. I'll cook you dinner, and if you want to spend the night…"

"Well, that's an offer I can't refuse," Jackson playfully answered. "Let's go look for Cat."

"Actually, can we split up? We'll cover more ground that way. Plus, someone has to tell Jo what's happening when she's done in the OR. She needs to know her daughter's here. I'm sure she doesn't want anybody else finding out her secret without her consent."

"Yeah, we can do that," he agreed. The couple left the on-call room before splitting up and walking separate directions.

April returned to her routine of opening doors that led to dead ends. The hospital was quite large and it would probably take hours to search the entire building. By then, Cat would probably be gone and she would have wasted time for nothing. She was becoming desperate enough to shout her name out in the middle of the hallway, but she wasn't going to betray Jo and let her secret be known to everybody.

She entered one of the lobbies and noticed a conference room with all of the blinds closed shut. In this case, she would either find Cat or a very disgruntled group of doctors in the middle of a staff meeting.

When she opened the door she was relieved to find Alex and Cat sitting inside. "Oh, thank God! You're here," she gasped, then she closed the door and promptly scowled at her roommate. "Do you have any idea how many times I've called you? I've been running around the hospital looking for this girl!"

Alex gestured towards the 12-year old. "Will you relax? I was going to tell Jo she's here after this interrogation."

"Interrogation?" April replied in disbelief. "She's a child, Alex! For crying out loud, you have authority over her. Did you seriously let a 12-year old girl control you?"

"Yes, he did," Cat proudly stated, smiling at April. "I remember you from the mall. You're the nicer friend."

"That doesn't mean I won't tell your mother you're here," April said in a singing tone. She waved her arms in front of her chest. "Whatever you're up to, it needs to stop now. Dr. Karev and I are working right now, just like your mother is at the moment. Did you come here all by yourself?"

"I know how to ride the bus," the young girl retorted. "I'm not doing anything wrong. I've never met any of my mom's boyfriends before, and I deserve to find out if he'll be nice to her. She's always looking out for me, so I'm gonna look out for her."

April smiled at her. "Aww, that's really sweet." She retrieved her cell phone from her lab coat and waved it around. "But she also deserves to know where you are at the moment."

* * *

Jackson waited outside of the surgical area for Jo to finish operating with Amelia. He had received a text message from April telling him she found Cat and where they were hiding, so he decided to wait for their friend to appear from behind the two doors leading to the operating rooms. It took about another hour before Jo was done. She appeared exhausted, having stood on her feet for five hours, but it was a successful brain tumor removal and that was all that mattered.

The pretty boy was sitting on a bench when he spotted her walking past the double doors. "Wilson," he called out to her as he stood up. She quickly approached him, then he slightly grimaced. "We- well, _you_ have a problem."

"What do you mean?" Jo inquired. She had been with Amelia's patient for most of her shift, so she wasn't quite sure what she had done wrong. "Who did I piss off this time?"

"Nobody," he softly chuckled. "It's just that umm, there's a cat in the hospital."

Jo furrowed her brow at Jackson. "So? I don't like cats, so it's not mine." She watched him stare at her before it finally clicked in her head. Her eyes grew wide as she gasped loudly. "Oh, my God! What is she doing here?"

"Looking for Karev, apparently."

"You're joking, right? She _cannot_ be here where people can see her." Jo opened an application on her cell phone. She groaned when the tracker connected to Cat's phone confirmed that she was in the hospital. "That girl is in a lot of trouble. Where is she?"

"Follow me." Jackson led Jo to the nearest elevator. "You're one of those parents who tracks their kid's phone?"

"She's only 12, and I was reluctant to get her one. We agreed that I would buy her the phone as long as I get to track her whereabouts," she explained. "I have to put my foot down somewhere, you know. And my grandmother was stricter with me when she had to raise me, so she should consider herself lucky that I'm a bit more lenient with the rules."

The pair entered the elevator and remained quiet due to other passengers inside. When they reached the second floor Jackson brought Jo to the conference room April had texted him. She didn't waste time barging into the room and closing the door before her coworker could enter.

"Caterina Riley Wilson, you are in big trouble!" the brunette angrily stated as she approached her daughter. "What are you doing here? It's only 2:30! School doesn't get out for another half hour!"

Cat huffed as she glanced up at Jo. "Today is the last day before Christmas break. It's a half day. We got out at 12:15."

Jo pinched the bridge of her nose and quietly cursed at herself. "You're right. I completely forgot." She placed one hand on her hip while she wagged her finger at Cat. "But you're supposed to be at the diner with Nana. Does she know you're here?"

"No, but I told her I was gonna hang out at Ashley's house, and that you would pick me up after work."

"Lying to Nana is unacceptable. Where am I supposed to leave you until my shift is over? I'm not sure I can trust you actually going to the diner. Who knows where you'll actually be?"

"You track my phone, so wouldn't you know?" Cat scoffed. "I'm almost a teenager and you're treating me like a little kid on a leash."

Jo scowled at her daughter. "Well, I'm your mother and I decide what's best for you until you're eighteen." She briefly turned around when Jackson entered the conference room. She couldn't care less that her friends were quietly watching her scold her child. In fact, she was even more annoyed that they were forced to be involved. "And you dragged my coworkers into this mess when they're all busy too."

"Give the kid a break. She was just curious, that's all," Alex intervened. "Seriously, though. If you want to avoid something like this happening again, you just gotta tell everybody the truth and stop hiding her from them."

"Sure. I'll just post the announcement on every bulletin board," Jo sarcastically replied.

Alex sighed in annoyance. "I'm serious, Jo. She's your daughter, not some wild animal you keep locked up at home. Maybe not everybody has to know right away, but at least let Grey and O'Malley in before they find out on their own."

"Actually, George saw Cat before she found Alex, so he's already suspicious," April sheepishly added.

"Fine. I promise I will tell them, but right now, I have to get this young lady home. I'll just tell Shepherd I'm not feeling well. Gather your belongings, sweetie," Jo instructed Cat. She picked up her daughter's open notebook and skimmed the numerous questions she had prepared for Alex. " _How many STDs have you had?_ I think it's time to stop watching _Degrassi_. That show had an episode about gonorrhea, and you shouldn't even need to know what that is yet."

Cat smirked at Jo as she followed her towards the door. "I'm pretty sure you enjoy that show more than I do, Mom. You're the one who got upset when they changed the theme song," she teasingly said.

Jo noticed her friends holding back their laughs, then she forced herself to grin at Cat. "The previous theme was fine. It didn't need a tweaking," she answered through gritted teeth. She stopped beside Jackson and nodded her head towards him. "By the way, this is my other friend, Jackson Avery."

Jackson held out his hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Cat."

Cat, like many other females who encountered Jackson for the first time, stared at him in awe as she slowly shook his hand. "Wow," she murmured to herself. "You're a real person?"

"Yeah, let's not," Jo awkwardly said, ushering her daughter out of the conference room. "I'm so sorry about this, you guys."

"Wait!" Cat exclaimed, peeking her head into the room. She brightly grinned at Alex. "Can you come over for dinner tonight, Dr. Karev?"

"Cat!" Jo yelped before looking back at her boyfriend. "You don't have to."

Alex shrugged and casually replied, "Sure, why not?"

Jo was slightly caught off-guard by Alex's response. She had actually doubted that he would agree to have dinner with her family at the last minute. She hadn't even figured out yet what they were having for dinner. "Oh, okay. I will text you my address then. Is 7:30 okay with you?"

"That works."

"Okay. We will see you later," she bashfully said, then she finally left with Cat.

Jackson chuckled once the room fell silent. "So that just happened. That was kind of crazy," he said in amusement. "Having daddy feels yet, Karev?"

"Shut up. No way," Alex guffawed, rolling his eyes. "The kid's a little feisty, but she's cool, I guess. Definitely not like some of the brats I've worked with in the past. Although, she did sort of scare the crap out of me for a second."

"But she seemed to have warmed up to you pretty fast. That's a plus," April noted, then she smirked at her roommate. "Though if you end up dying from food poisoning tonight, then perhaps it was all an act to get rid of you later."

* * *

Following the end of her shift, April dressed out of her clothes and went downstairs to wait for Jackson. He was running a little late after Altman asked him to cover one of her post-ops at the last minute, but he had promised he wouldn't take long and asked her to wait for him in the main lobby. She was on her way to the seating area when a voice called out her name.

April turned to see Lexie sitting behind the nurses' station as the latter waved at her. She cautiously approached her coworker and softly smiled. "Yes, Lexie?"

The brunette stood up, so they were face to face. "I've been meaning to apologize for what I did to you, with your finger and everything. I was jealous and I acted super immature about it, but that doesn't excuse me for how I behaved. You came in here, made a nice impression on the attendings and my friends, and I hated it. But I was an ass to you, and I'm truly sorry for that." She smiled, hoping April would accept her apology. "If you're up for it, can we start over, please?"

"This doesn't have to do with the fact that I caught you and Sloan in bed together, does it?" April inquired. "I mean, I do forgive you, but I have a feeling you don't want anybody knowing about you two."

"Well, that's half of it, but I am genuinely sorry for how I treated you," she sheepishly answered. "And this thing with Sloan has only been going on for a week. However, I know he's not the most likable person in this hospital, so it would make for very intriguing gossip that I'm not ready for."

April slowly nodded. "Understandable. I know a thing or two about unsolicited gossip."

"And you know what? You can have Neuro. I think I might be going into Plastics," Lexie confidently said.

"Plastics? Really?" The redhead scrunched her nose in confusion. "All because of Sloan?"

"Not just that, obviously. He actually opened my eyes to the possibility of Seattle Grace, or some other hospital, having a female plastic surgeon in their staff because there aren't many of those in the country," Lexie admitted. "Just don't get too comfortable with Shepherd. I may reconsider my specialty, but for now, I will take advantage of Sloan's service. I mean, _really_ take advantage. That man is phenomenal in bed."

April forced herself to smile. "Uh, that's great. If he makes you happy, then I suppose there's no problem with that," she awkwardly replied. "And honestly, I've been thinking about trauma surgery a lot more lately, so maybe neither of us will end up becoming neurosurgeons."

"One more thing. I'm having a small pre-Christmas potluck dinner at my house next Friday, and I'm inviting you. It'll just be a small group of us. The usual gang. It's been a tradition for us since intern year, but you and Karev can join us," she offered. "And don't worry, I won't be inviting Sloan. Jackson's still barely speaking to me, so his presence would only piss him off more. I hope you can convince him to come."

"Of course. Thank you," April graciously answered. She spotted Jackson stepping out of an elevator in his street clothes, then she pointed over her shoulder. "Time for me to go. Goodnight, Lexie."

Jackson instantly grew curious as April and Lexie exchanged goodbyes. He shot a look at his girlfriend when she joined him by his side. "What was that about?" he asked, wrapping his arm over her shoulder.

"Nothing horrible. Lexie and I just reached an understanding between each other," she happily replied, hooking her arm around his waist as they walked towards the exit. "She invited me to this annual Christmas dinner thing you guys do at her house."

"Oh, that. Are you going?"

April nodded and smiled. "Of course, I am. Why not? You should go too. I think you've given her the cold shoulder long enough. It's almost Christmas. It's supposed to be a happy time," she insisted. "Lexie and I are good now, so give her another chance."

Jackson was actually relieved that there wasn't any more tension between his ex-girlfriend and his current girlfriend. He did miss being around Lexie as a friend, so the dinner would be the first step towards reconciling with her. "Well, if you're good, then I'm good." He tenderly kissed the top of April's head. "So, what do you have in mind for dinner? I already have an idea for dessert."

April playfully slapped Jackson's abdomen with her free hand. "If it starts with S and ends with an X…"

"Actually, I was referring to that rocky road parfait you made last week. Get your mind out of the gutter, babe," he teasingly responded, causing her to laugh. "But I wouldn't mind a little S-E-X either."

* * *

 **I hope I redeemed Lexie a bit :) Let me know what you think please!**


	13. Family Reunion

**Thank you for the reviews! :) So this is probably the longest chapter I've written, but it does cover a few things that also set up the next chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A loud pounding on the front door of Alex and April's apartment slowly woke them both from their sleep. It was highly unusual for them to have a visitor arrive in the middle of the night. The only friends they had in Seattle were from the hospital. None of them would abruptly appear at their home at 3 o'clock in the morning without any notice.

Alex was the first person to climb out of bed and leave his bedroom. It was nearly pitch black except for the moonlight creeping through the closed blinds in the living room. He stubbed his toe against one of the dining chairs on his way to the door and cursed loudly. The lights in the living room suddenly turned on causing him to squeeze his eyes shut. He figured April had flipped on the switch behind him. "Holy crap. A warning would've been nice," he irritably stated as he blindly approached the front door.

"Sorry," his roommate whispered with a grimace. "Who could be at the door at his hour?"

"I don't know, but I might have to kick their ass because we have to be up by five for work," he grumbled.

"I'll get the baseball bat from my room just in case," April informed him before sprinting off to her bedroom.

Once his eyes finally adjusted to the lights, Alex rubbed his eyes with one hand and opened the front door with the other. He barely had time to react to the surprise visitor as she invited herself inside. "What the hell? Amber?" he said in disbelief.

A small rolling suitcase in one hand, Amber Karev-Avery stepped into the apartment and grinned at her older brother. "About time you opened that door. I was beginning to think one of your neighbors would call the cops on me," she jokingly replied. Alex simply scowled back at her while he closed the door. "What? Not excited to see your little sister?"

"I probably could have planned a better reaction if I knew you were freaking coming," Alex retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What are you doing here? Do Mom and Dad know you're in Seattle?"

"Uh, yeah. They paid for my ticket to come here. How else would I be able to fly over here?" Amber cheekily answered. "I told you that I wanted to visit for Christmas. Did you think I was bluffing? And Mom and Dad are okay with it, so don't badger them with a phone call over my surprise visit."

Alex sighed in annoyance. "But a heads up would have been helpful. Dude, I'm a busy guy. Third year's been no joke, and actually, I'm supposed to be waking up in two hours to get ready for work!"

"If I told you I was coming, you would have done everything you could to convince me to celebrate Christmas in Iowa. I almost forgot how pissy you get when you haven't had enough sleep," she teased.

Alex really cared about and loved his kid sister, but sometimes Amber drove him crazy with how unpredictable she can be. Even her birth had been a surprise because she was two weeks early, and their mother had gone into labor during Alex's pee wee football game. He missed the second half of the game and sported a pout when he met his sister. She liked making plans at the last minute. He suspected she only decided to actually spend Christmas in Seattle a couple of days ago.

Neither of them were perfect, but they had a lot of things in common. Just like her older brother, Amber was inspired by Dalton to become a doctor. She decided to become a pre-med major at the University of North Carolina where she played volleyball on a full scholarship. Both of them used athletics to earn scholarships for their respective universities. They enjoyed watching college football, horror movies and Mexican food. Alex also taught her how to be tough and not take crap from anybody, which somewhat backfired on him since she knew how to deal with his attitude when they bickered.

April tiptoed out of her bedroom and stopped at the entrance of the living room. Alex noticed her gripping a baseball bat with two hands and rolled his eyes. "Put the bat down, Kepner. It's just my sister. Why do you even have that?"

"For protection, obviously," the redhead sternly said, setting the baseball bat on the floor. "You can never be unprepared for home invasions."

Amber turned around to look at April. She couldn't help but feel amused by her pink pajama pants that had cows on them. "Who are you?" she asked with a smirk.

"I'm April Kepner. I'm Alex's roommate," April cheerfully introduced herself. Despite the bags underneath her eyes and the tired expression on her face, she smiled at their surprise visitor. "He and I go all the way back to medical school when he was practically a gross, frat type of guy."

"The clean apartment makes more sense to me now," she quipped, shaking April's hand. Amber looked back at Alex and pointed over her shoulder. "You live with a woman and you aren't sleeping with her? How is that possible?"

Alex scrunched his face in response. "Because I have my own girlfriend and she's dating your other brother. I'm pretty sure sharing April would make things more complicated than they already are," he sarcastically replied. "And I haven't pictured her naked since fourth year of med school."

April shot a glare at him before smiling at Amber again. "Anyway, you must be exhausted from the flight. Do you want to sleep, or maybe eat something?" she offered. "I hope the couch is okay with you."

Amber sat down on the couch and lightly bounced on the cushions. "Nice couch. The cushions are so soft," she complimented. "I have a feeling Alex didn't pick this out."

"I bought it off Craigslist," she proudly answered with a grin. "I'll get some spare pillows and a blanket for you."

After April left the living room, Amber turned to face Alex and whispered gleefully, "She's cute."

"And straight, so don't even think about it," Alex nonchalantly replied. "Again, she's Jackson's girlfriend, so don't make things more awkward by hitting on her when I'm not in the room."

"There's nothing wrong with just looking," Amber insisted. "So, when can I meet Jackson? You told him about me, right? Last time we spoke on the phone, you said he knew and that he wanted to meet me. Can I meet him tomorrow?"

Alex softly groaned. "You're asking too many questions at once while my brain is barely functioning," he complained, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger. "I'll figure something out in the morning, but I really gotta get some sleep."

Amber kicked off her shoes and propped up her feet on top of the coffee table. "Sure, go ahead. I'll just relax for a bit before I go to sleep myself." She smiled as Alex crossed the living room. "And don't pretend you're pissed that I'm here. I just made Christmas a lot more fun for you."

Alex snickered as he slightly smiled back at his sister. "Yeah, whatever." He stopped in the hallway as April passed by carrying pillows and a blanket. "Thank freaking goodness you and Avery didn't boink tonight. Can you imagine his face if he saw Amber standing in our apartment?"

"What are we going to tell him at work?" April whispered. "We can't pretend she's not here. He'll find out eventually."

"Yeah, we'll tell him as soon as possible. Maybe you can give him a hand job first and soften him up a bit before telling him," he playfully suggested.

April gently kicked Alex's leg and laughed. "You're disgusting. Go back to bed. I'll see if Amber needs anything else."

"Alright, but just think about it." He cackled when she attempted to kick him again and missed. "Trust me. When he finally meets Amber he may need one."

* * *

Alex and April entered Seattle Grace Hospital with opposite moods. He appeared broody and exhausted, while she was bubbly and sporting a smile on her face. After getting Amber acquainted with their apartment, both of them went to bed. However, Alex struggled to fall back asleep. When he finally managed to sleep his alarm woke him up five minutes later. He was grateful that it was Friday, but he had only gotten about five hours of sleep.

Amber was passed out on the couch, and even the noise Alex made in the kitchen hadn't woken her up. At least she would be able to fight off the jet leg throughout the day before Lexie's dinner. He hadn't officially asked his coworker if he could bring her along, but he doubted she would reject the idea. The brunette was beginning to get on his and April's good side for a change, so he didn't expect her to ruin that.

Before they left their apartment, April left a note on the coffee table for Amber to read. Alex initially didn't want to leave anything, but his roommate insisted on being courteous, which wasn't a surprise to him. Her note consisted of instructions for using the kitchen, the bathroom and what time they would be home to pick her up for Lexie's dinner party.

Between the two of them, April was the more excited person. She was eager to see Jackson's reaction upon meeting his half-sister later that night. She and Alex agreed not to tell him at the hospital because the news might become a distraction for him. They would wait until they were at Lexie's house to introduce him to Amber. It was possible his reaction might not be the most pleasant, but April remained optimistic that the meeting would go well.

As they were walking towards the elevators, April spotted Jackson at the coffee cart. She quickly ditched her roommate and approached her boyfriend. "Good morning!" she cheerfully greeted him.

Her energetic mood wasn't a surprise to Jackson anymore, but sometimes her enthusiasm at the crack of dawn still caught him off-guard. "Hmm, I can definitely tell that you're not here for the coffee," he playfully replied. "You want a muffin or something, though?"

"No, thank you. I ate breakfast at home," she answered, grinning widely at him.

Jackson eyed his girlfriend suspiciously. Something about her bright mood felt off. "I know you're normally in a better mood than everybody else at this time, but what's up?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your face hasn't changed since you showed up. Isn't your jaw hurting yet?" he quipped. Jackson gently pressed on her cheeks as an attempt to shrink her grin. He placed a lazy kiss on her bottom lip. "And I want to kiss your lips, not your teeth."

April giggled and softly smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm just excited for tonight, that's all."

Jackson smirked back at her. "You're excited for a dinner party at my ex-girlfriend's house?" he skeptically answered. He retrieved his coffee from the vendor before slipping his free hand into hers and walking towards the elevators. "No offense, but I'm not that thrilled about it."

"Why? Lexie and I are on good terms now. We're trying to be friends." Also, April knew Lexie was actively sleeping with Mark Sloan, so she had a reason to expose her if she needed to stoop to her coworker's level. "I never got to experience dinner parties like this when I was at Mayo. It was always kind of just Alex and me."

"Maybe Karev was the reason why people had a hard time warming up to you," he suggested.

"No, he's not. We were both outcasts," she insisted. "Here, I actually fit in with people besides Alex. Makes moving to Seattle well worth it."

Jackson sipped his coffee with a smile on his face. "I can give you a couple of more reasons why moving to Seattle was a very wise decision," he insinuated. "I mean, I don't want to brag or anything…"

"Trauma surgery became intriguing and I've grown addicted to Molly Moon's ice cream," April nonchalantly replied, drawing a playful eye roll from Jackson. "Hey, you brought me there, so you have nobody to blame but yourself."

"Is it just me or has Karev's smart ass personality rubbed off on you?" he teased, stepping into an elevator with her after it arrived.

April chuckled. "Honestly, I like to think I rubbed off on him." They stood at the back of the elevator car as it began ascending to the fifth floor. She slyly grinned as she whispered into his ear, "If you're not too busy on your lunch break, come and find me? I'll get you warmed up for tonight."

Jackson almost choked on his coffee as April continued to whisper naughty things in his ear. "Jesus," he mumbled to himself, trying to hold back the smile creeping from the corner of his mouth. He remained slightly confused by her overly cheerful mood, but he swore to himself that he would never question it again, especially when she was giving him ideas he didn't know she actually had in that innocent looking body of hers. "I am definitely paging you later."

* * *

Before changing into his scrubs, Alex approached Lexie's cubby. She was tying her shoes when he hovered above her, causing her to slowly glance up at him. "Yes?"

"Hey, uhh…" Alex briefly turned around to ensure Jackson wasn't entering the locker room. "Do you mind if I bring an extra person tonight? She's uhh… my sister randomly showed up last night, and I don't want to leave her at home where she's probably already snooping through my crap as we speak."

"Sure. That's fine," Lexie politely answered. She paused, raising her eyebrow at Alex. "Your sister? Is she just _your_ sister or is she also Jackson's?"

Alex crouched down, so they were at eye level. "Her name's Amber and she's Avery's half-sister, okay? But don't tell him. I don't want him freaking out and deciding not to show up tonight. Kepner's gonna butter him up all day to keep him in a good mood, if you know what I mean."

Lexie scrunched her nose, shaking her head. "I'll pretend I _don't_ know what you mean, but I get it."

"Alright, cool. I'll see you tonight," he said, standing up.

"Oh, and bring something we can all eat," she reminded her coworker. "I trust April to do that, but I'm not sure about you. A box of Cheez-Its won't cut it. Even a store bought dessert will do, Alex. Also, nothing that contains eggs. I'm allergic."

"Yeah, yeah. April already nagged me about this," he scoffed. "She assigned me what to bring, so don't worry about it."

Just as Alex walked away to change into his scrubs, George took a seat beside Lexie. "Hey, Lex. Umm, I know this is going to be awful, last minute planning, but do you mind if I bring a date to dinner?" he eagerly asked. "It's just that Olivia, you know that nurse who works in the ER, isn't going home for Christmas and I may have brought up tonight to her, so she's not completely lonely…"

"What? George!" Lexie sighed, running her palms down her cheeks. "Karev is already bringing an extra person, _and_ Jo is pretty much his other half now that they're dating. Then, there's Jackson and April. You and Olivia would make me such a loner."

"Well, I can't exactly rescind the invitation," he timidly replied. "Plus, I think she actually _likes_ me. Why don't you invite another person for yourself? You know, I'm sure somebody you know at this hospital has nothing better to do on a Friday night. Unless, you want to invite Mer-"

Lexie groaned. "And watch her be friendly to everybody in the room except for me? No, thank you. She and Yang are going to be slumming it at Joe's tonight."

She did have one option, though she was fully aware that her choice would lead to a dysfunctional dinner. Not that it wasn't dysfunctional already. Her ex-boyfriend would be present with his current girlfriend. Her other friends either were each other's date or decided to bring one, and since she didn't know Amber, she really would be the loner of the dinner party that _she_ was hosting.

"If you're really uncomfortable about this," George started. "I can lie and tell Olivia it was cancelled. But then she would probably want to do something regardless, and I'm not sure how I can get out of that one-"

"George, it's fine!" Lexie impatiently responded. "You can bring her. I have it figured out. It's fine."

On the opposite side of the locker room, Alex was halfway changed into his scrubs when Jo arrived and sidled up to him. "What are you bringing to dinner tonight?" she curiously asked.

"A bag of potatoes. April's gonna mash them up at Lexie's later, why?" he murmured. "I can't cook for crap, so my job is to carry a sack of potatoes to the house. Easiest job in the world."

"Oh, because I have no freaking clue what I'm bringing. I haven't been able to prepare ahead of time," Jo admitted with a grimace. "And this potluck dinner started when we were interns, yet every year I procrastinate and end up bringing beer. I don't want to look like a total slacker this time."

"Why don't you bring Cat?" Alex suggested with a smile. "I'm sure Lexie won't mind. You said you would introduce her to the others, remember?"

Jo slowly nodded. "Yes, but not tonight. It's not an appropriate scene for her. It'll be all adults and she's not going to understand anything anybody's talking about, so she'll be bored to death."

"When I came over for dinner your grandma made some jokes that I'm sure Cat didn't understand," Alex recalled, then he chuckled. "I gotta say, Jeanette is hilarious. She might be the coolest grandma ever with that David Bowie tattoo she has on her shoulder."

"Yeah, she's something. She used to threaten to show that off to my friends while she sang one of his songs at school if I misbehaved," she amusingly replied. "So anyway, I'm going solo. What's something I can make fast that you'll eat and genuinely enjoy?"

"That spaghetti you made for dinner was pretty good. Why don't you just make that again?"

Jo snapped her fingers and grinned. "Great! Then, that's what I'll do." She quickly kissed Alex's cheek before walking to her cubby. "See you later!"

* * *

Dinner was scheduled to begin at 8 PM. Lexie was in the kitchen preparing her share of the potluck dinner after leaving work early. She had rearranged the living room by moving the couches and setting up a long table for everybody to sit at. The doorbell rang, so she left the kitchen to answer the door.

The first guest to arrive was Jackson. Lexie opened the door for him and softly smiled. "Hey, you're the first one here. Come in," she greeted him, closing the door after her ex-boyfriend entered her house. He was holding a pie in each hand. "You brought dessert."

"Yeah, it's apple and strawberry. And they're vegan. I didn't want to risk buying pies that might contain eggs in the pie crust, and accidentally send you to the hospital due to anaphylaxis," the pretty boy sheepishly answered. "They might be good. The bakery I bought them from says they are."

Lexie chuckled. "I'm sure they are. You can set those in the kitchen for now."

Jackson followed the brunette into the kitchen and set the pies on the counter. He watched Lexie open the oven and remove a glass baking dish with her oven mitts. He recognized the dish and smiled. "You made your famous spinach and artichoke dip."

"Indeed. I'm also preparing a salad, but keep your hands away from this dip until everybody is here," she playfully warned him. "Knowing you, you'll finish half of it before anybody else arrives."

He took a seat at the smaller dining table, while she continued dinner preparations. "It's really nice of you to invite April and Karev to this. I wasn't sure if you wanted to because this is a tradition we started before they came to Seattle." Also, he remained unsure if his current girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend bonding would work out. "But it's cool, thanks. Really more for April, but thanks."

Lexie smirked as she washed lettuce at the sink. "Are you worried I'll poison her drink?"

"No, of course not. You two are trying to be friends or whatever," Jackson awkwardly replied. "That's good, I guess."

"You sound so confident about that," she sarcastically said. "Relax. I won't be trying to pummel April for surgeries again. That's behind us now, okay? I don't want things to be weird between us anymore."

"I'm not trying to make it weird. I just hope you're comfortable with me dating someone else."

Lexie turned around when she finished using the sink. "I am, actually. In fact, I am happy for you, Jackson," she sincerely responded. "I'm hoping we can stay friends, despite the crap I pulled with April… and some of the other women who were interested in you. I'm done with that stuff. I'm moving on too."

"Anybody I know?" Jackson inquired, not that he was feeling jealous over Lexie dating other men. He was relieved that she wasn't secretly obsessing over him anymore. "Or do you mean you're going to jump into the dating pool again?"

She quickly shook her head. "No. Not anybody in particular yet." He probably wouldn't believe her if she told him that she was sleeping with Sloan, she thought. "I just meant I want to start dating."

The doorbell rang and Jackson stood up to save Lexie some time. "I'll get it." He left the kitchen to answer the door. Jo was standing outside appearing frantic as she carried a grocery bag. He opened the door and she bolted past him before he could greet her. "Nice to see you too, Wilson."

Jo entered the kitchen and approached their coworker. "Lex, mind if I use your stove?" she anxiously questioned as she pulled out ingredients from her bag. "I got off work a little later than expected, so I haven't had the time to make this spaghetti."

"Sure, help yourself," Lexie casually replied. "The noodles aren't-"

"It's whole grain. I know the drill," she confirmed, filling a large pot with water.

Lexie glanced up in time to catch Jackson trying to sneak a taste of her dip. "Jackson, put that cracker down!"

"Dammit!" he muttered, dropping the cracker. "I'm going to use the bathroom."

Meanwhile, April and Alex arrived at the house with Amber in tow. Prior to leaving their apartment, Alex had given Amber some ground rules. He wasn't sure what to expect from Jackson once he met their sister. April had a more positive mindset about it, but he was going to do everything he could to avoid another punch in the face. He already imagined the worst case scenario, that Jackson would assume Amber's surprise visit was planned as a way to force them to bond.

All of their hands were full with trays of food, so Alex used his elbow to ring the doorbell. Lexie appeared a minute later and answered the door. "Hey, come in," she greeted them. She stood by the door, watching her coworkers enter the house before smiling at Amber. "You must me Amber. I'm Lexie. I work with Alex and April."

Amber smiled back at Lexie. "Yeah, I heard about you. Alex told me you almost cut off April's finger to get into a surgery," she bluntly said.

Lexie furrowed her bow at Alex, who quickly shrugged. "I can definitely see the resemblance between you two." She led the threesome into the kitchen. "You can set everything in here first. If you need to make some last minute preparations, go ahead and use what you need."

Alex dropped off a bag of potatoes on the counter before creeping up on Jo. He playfully pinched her sides from behind causing her to yelp. "Sorry," he chuckled, kissing her on the cheek. "You got a minute? I want to introduce you to somebody."

"Did you bring a date?" Jo quipped.

He turned her around, so she was facing Amber, who stood a few feet away. "Jo, this is Amber. Amber, this is Jo. She's my girlfriend."

Jo gasped, then she grinned and immediately grabbed a hold of Amber's hands. "Oh, I've been looking forward to meeting you, and I didn't even know you were coming!" She turned her head to look at Alex. "Why didn't you tell me she was here?"

Alex lazily threw his arms up and sported a half-smile. "Surprise," he answered in monotone. "She kind of, uh, never told me she was coming either until 3 AM when she showed up at the door."

"Yeah, I blindsided him," Amber proudly stated. "So, your name is Jo? You have a boy's name. That's hot."

"Don't even think about it," he mumbled to her.

Jo snickered, eying Alex curiously. "Anyway, Avery doesn't know she's here, right? I can't wait to see the look on his face when he comes out of the bathroom. He's already here."

April's face lit up. "He is? Okay, stay here. I'll go get him and bring him over here when he's out," she announced, scurrying out of the kitchen. There was a bathroom located underneath the stairs, and the door opened just as the swinging door closed behind her. Jackson stepped out of the bathroom, stopping when he spotted his girlfriend. "Hey!"

"Did you just get here? I heard a doorbell, so I figured it would be either you or O'Malley." Jackson slipped his arms around April's waist before greeting her with a kiss. "Boy, am I happy to see you again."

"Why? What's the matter?" April asked in between kisses. "Something bothering you?"

"No, I just can't stop thinking about our rendezvous in the on-call room earlier today," he murmured against her lips. The sex they were having continued to be amazing, but on this particular day, April had surprised him. She had done things to him that even he hadn't experienced before. It had put him in a very good mood for the rest of the day. "I do wonder where you learned how to do some of those things you did."

The redhead giggled, forcing herself to pull away from . "I have my sources," she teased. Taking his hands into hers, she couldn't stop herself from grinning at him. She was way too excited about what was behind the kitchen door. "I hope you're up for another surprise."

"I'm not sure what else could surprise me today, but I trust you," Jackson humorously answered. He followed April into the kitchen, his eyes locked in on her rear end. She was wearing very tight jeans that distracted him from noticing Amber's presence.

He finally glanced up and saw all eyes were on him. Of course, there was one face that wasn't familiar to him, but he had an idea who she was. He connected the dots in his head. Lexie was alone when he arrived, Jo had shown up alone as well. Now that Alex and April were present, there were two conclusions he could come up with. Either she was one of April's sisters, or she was Amber.

But he knew that all of the Kepner women were redheads, and this woman had long, flowing brown hair that ended past her shoulder blades. And her eyes, they stood out like a sore thumb because they were almost exactly like his own. Those bluish green eyes were hard to miss.

Jackson swallowed hard, his forehead crinkling as he became lost in thought. The realization that he had a biological sister was slowly hitting him. He wasn't sure how to feel, but he was a bit shocked to see her standing in his ex-girlfriend's kitchen, while everybody else waited for him to respond.

"You're Amber," he murmured, though it sounded as if it was both a statement and a question. "You… you probably already know who I am based on the smile on my girlfriend's face."

Amber quietly approached Jackson and stopped in front of him. She took a moment to soak it all in. She had only seen what he looked like in a picture from April's cell phone, but seeing him in person overwhelmed her more than she had anticipated. Without saying a word, she threw her arms over his shoulders and hugged him tightly.

Jackson slightly stumbled back, then he tentatively returned the hug. He awkwardly smiled as April lightly bounced on her feet excitedly nearby. "So… you don't talk?"

"Oh, my God, I've been wanting to meet you for so long!" Amber boisterously replied. She stepped back and playfully slapped Jackson's chest. "Dude, I get this is a lot to take in, but you have no idea how happy I am to meet you. You should've seen the look on Alex's face when I showed up at his place in the middle of the night. But you, you look like you just saw Dad."

Alex winced, wishing he could duct tape his sister's mouth. "Uh, yeah. I didn't know she was coming."

"Don't be mad or anything, I purposely never told Alex I'd be crashing in Seattle for Christmas," Amber insisted. "But he did tell you that I wanted to meet you. And now that we've met, what do you think?"

Jackson nervously laughed, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. He was certain he wouldn't be able to handle any more surprises for the rest of the night. If his mother were to suddenly appear again, he might have a heart attack. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you," he politely replied.

"By the way, that April is super cute. Nice catch," she whispered, winking at him.

"Uh, thanks," Jackson reluctantly answered, softly smiling back at her.

The sweet, yet awkward moment was interrupted by April's cell phone ringing. She sheepishly grinned as she headed out of the kitchen. "Excuse me. I'll take this in the living room. You two keep talking. This is a momentous event!" she encouragingly said before leaving.

Jackson slipped his hands inside of his pockets and sighed deeply. "Okay, so… how old are you again, Amber?"

"I just turned 20 in September," Amber answered, sitting down on a stool beside the island counter. "You know, you can ask me anything you want. I'm probably more talkative than Alex by a landslide. He just makes ugly faces and stuff when he doesn't want to answer questions."

Jackson glanced at Alex, who scowled, then he nodded in agreement. "That's actually true. Well, I won't bombard you with questions right now, especially with an audience." He pointed over his shoulder towards the kitchen door. "And now I understand why my girlfriend was in such a good mood today, but I'm not complaining. Just saying."

Alex scoffed as he opened the refrigerator to get a beer. "The hickeys on her neck says it all."

"Before this turns into a tell all session, I'm going to step out for a minute," he stated, then he left the kitchen.

April's voice can be heard from the living room. She was hardly a soft speaker. Her high-pitched voice was very distinct, but also louder than she assumed. Jackson stood outside of the living room and hid against the wall. From what he had picked up, she was on the phone with her mother. His girlfriend sounded somewhat irritated, but it was unclear why.

"No, Mom. I stopped taking those seven months ago," the redhead impatiently replied. She was slowly pacing back and forth by the dining table as she listened to her mother nag her on the phone. "Because they were making me feel sick and exhausted. And I've been fine. I haven't needed them."

Jackson furrowed his brow out of curiosity. _What_ was April taking, or used to take? It was obvious to him it was some sort of medication, but the details were so vague that he couldn't quite figure it out.

"I'm not alone in Seattle. I told you that Alex is here. Alex Karev, Mom. Yes, the one from medical school. He's not like that anymore, okay?" she irritably answered. "And I found friends here. They're really great people. I have a boyfriend. His name is Jackson, and he's very sweet. You would love him."

That part of the conversation made Jackson smile. He wondered if April's mother was the complete opposite of Catherine. From the sounds of it, she probably was. Now, he wanted to meet her since April had insisted that her mother would accept him easily. His concentration was focused on picking up any intriguing details from April's conversation that he hadn't noticed somebody sneaking up on him.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Amber whispered, accidentally scaring Jackson in the process. He jumped, hitting the back of his head against the wall. She held back her laugh as he grimaced and rubbed his head. "Sorry."

April had heard the loud thud from outside of the living room, raising her eyebrow while she stared at the entrance. "Mom, I have to go. I love you too. Bye." After hanging up her phone, she walked out of the living room to find Jackson and Amber standing nearby. "What are you doing?"

Fortunately, Jackson spotted George outside of the house through the window of the front door. He immediately pointed at his roommate as he rushed towards the door. "O'Malley sent me a text. He said he needed help bringing some food inside. Amber just tagged along because we were talking about… sports," he reluctantly answered. "She's a fan of the Patriots."

"What? The Patriots suck!" Amber retorted. "I can't believe I'm related to a Patriots fan."

Jackson smirked before opening the front door. George entered the house with his date, Olivia. He was carrying a rather small rotisserie chicken in his hands, and Olivia carried a foil covered tray.

"Uh, need help with that chicken, O'Malley?" Jackson chuckled. "Lexie's gonna love this."

The group walked into the kitchen to greet the other guests in the house. Lexie's eyes were instantly glued to the chicken in George's hands. "What the hell is that?" she exclaimed. "That's not a chicken! George!"

"It is a chicken! This is all they had at the market," George defensively replied.

"That thing is the size of a hamster. How is that supposed to feed everybody? Jackson or Alex can devour that on their own!" Lexie argued. "The chicken was supposed to be our meat source."

"Well, Olivia is a vegetarian, so that's one less person." He nodded his head towards Amber. "And I have no idea who she is, but maybe she doesn't eat meat either."

"She's my sister. Actually, and Avery's too," Alex acknowledged, sipping his beer. "Amber, this is George. He's kind of a moron."

George rolled his eyes, then he removed the foil from the tray Olivia was holding. He revealed about two dozen small corn on the cobs. "I also brought a lot of corn. It was to compensate for the tiny chicken," he proudly announced. He tried to avoid Lexie's icy stare and forced a laugh. "So, when are we eating?"

* * *

Once everybody was settled and dinner was ready, the group claimed their seats at the dining table. Lexie was seated at the head of the table, and smiled at her guests. "Okay, if nobody has anything profound or some prayer they wanted to say before we eat, then we can dig in."

Lexie gave them a few seconds before she started serving herself food. The rest followed her lead and began passing the various dishes around to each other.

Jackson helped himself to some of Jo's spaghetti before passing it along to April, who was sitting beside him. Since everybody else in the room had their own conversations amongst each other, he decided to bring up her phone call with her mother. "Umm… so you were speaking to your mother earlier," he murmured, hoping it hadn't sounded like he was probing for answers, which he truthfully was.

"Yes. She calls every day, even more now because I'm farther away from home," April nonchalantly replied. "She's mostly bummed that I won't be home for Christmas. It was easier in medical school, but we can't be as selective with our vacation days in residency."

"Oh," he simply said. "You two get along?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed. "But I'm more of a daddy's girl, honestly. Growing up on the farm, out of the four daughters, I was probably allowed to ride with him on his tractor the most. When I was old enough he trusted me to operate it by myself. We're really close."

Jackson slowly nodded. "I see. That's cool."

April suddenly frowned back at him. "Oh, gosh. I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't be bragging like that since I know your father is a sensitive subject for you. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," she quickly apologized. "We can talk about something else."

"No, it's fine," he softly chuckled, reaching up to gently rub the back of his girlfriend's neck. "Don't worry about it."

The front door opened and a loud, obnoxious voice echoed from outside of the living room. Mark entered the house holding a bottle of wine in his hand. "Am I late for the party? Brought you kids the best in Seattle," he smugly greeted them. The room fell silent as he approached the table. "What happened? Someone die?"

"My appetite did," Jo mumbled to herself.

April eyed Lexie suspiciously until the latter made eye contact with her. Neither of them spoke a word, but the guilty expression on the brunette's face confirmed that she had invited Sloan, which made little sense to her. If they were supposed to be keeping their relationship a secret, this was the worst way of hiding it.

The plastic surgeon noticed Amber and offered his hand. "I don't think we've met. Who are you, lovely lady?"

"Amber. She's my sister," Alex grumbled, scowling at Sloan.

"And I'm a lesbian," Amber firmly added, grinning back at the older man as she shook his hand.

George spit out his beer, partially splashing his food and Lexie's shirt. He coughed and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. This time, everybody was staring at him. "Well, that explains why Amber was so eager to sit beside Jo," he jokingly said. "Carry on."

Lexie cleared her throat and pointed at the open seat at the opposite end of the table. "Have a seat. There's plenty of food to go around – except for the hamster chicken George brought." She tried to act as casual as possible, but she knew some of her friends were more than suspicious now, especially Jackson. "Eat, guys, before the food gets cold."

Mark reached for the mashed potatoes April had prepared, then he smirked at Jackson. "Missing you in Plastics, Avery. Where have you been hiding?"

"Everywhere that isn't your department," Jackson sneered. "Still all about cardio for me."

"Kepner, what about you? I bet you're the perfectionist type. Plastics would be perfect for you," Mark suggested, winking at April.

"Uhh…" April briefly glanced back at Lexie, who rolled her eyes. "Trauma has been pretty great, actually. Hunt has taught me a lot since I started spending more time in the ER."

"Dude, why are you even here?" Alex intervened. "Since when did you start hanging out with residents?"

Mark simply shrugged. "Gotta find a way to poach for prospective plastic surgeons. The pool isn't very large, and I have a short list of candidates. By the way, you're not on it. I know Robbins is basically dry humping your leg to get you into pediatric surgery, so I'll let her have one."

"Are we not going to address the jackass in the room? I mean, elephant. Excuse me," Jo sarcastically said, staring at the plastic surgeon.

"We're all here to do the same thing, and that's to eat dinner," April calmly replied, sporting a smile. "Let's not blow up our tempers over this. It's really not that big of a deal, right? We can eat, then pretend he's not even here."

Mark laughed to himself, playfully pointing his fork at April. "Listen to Kepner. It's like nothing fazes her."

Lexie pressed her palms against the table and stood up. "You know what? Let's just get this out in the open. I think that's the better solution." She breathed in deeply before she announced, "I've been sleeping with Sloan. So, yeah. We're dating – I think."

"Okay, we'll call it that," he concurred.

Jackson switched back and forth between looking at Lexie and Mark. "What?" he said in disbelief. "Uh, congratulations?"

"Thanks, man," Mark gratefully answered, giving him a hard pat on the shoulder. "I know about your history with Lex, but don't worry. I'm taking good care of her."

"Awesome," he muttered, picking up his beer bottle and chugging what was left inside.

Jo stood up and nervously grinned at her peers. "Well, since we're suddenly doing honesty hour now, I would like to share something with you all before I get cold feet," she declared. "I have a daughter. Her name is Caterina, but she goes by Cat, and she's 12 years old. I don't actually own a cat. Any reference I made to my cat was just code for my daughter."

George pounded his fist on the table. "A-ha! I knew it!" he proudly stated. "That girl I saw in the ER was her, wasn't it? April tried to convince me that I was just having some awkward sex dream about you."

"Wait, you're serious?" Lexie intriguingly asked. She smiled at Jo after she nodded. "Holy crap. Can we meet her?"

"Yeah, sure. Although, this isn't like some extraordinary science experiment to be in awe with. She's just my kid," Jo wholeheartedly replied. "And she also happens to be better at Xbox than Alex, which is still funny to me."

"That's not fair. We played a game I've never heard of before," Alex retorted. "But she's a cool kid or whatever."

Amber gestured towards April and grinned. "I think April is fucking hot!" Her unexpected confession resulted in dead silence as everyone stared back at her. Alex could only bury his face into his hands and shake his head out of embarrassment. She threw her arms up and shrugged. "What? Everybody's admitting random shit about themselves, so that's my contribution to this weird party. I'm not exaggerating, April. You have really nice boobs."

April softly laughed as she poked at her food with her fork. "Uh, thanks."

"What about you, April? Anything you want to share with everyone?" Jackson probed, drawing a confused look from his girlfriend.

"Nope," she murmured. "I'm fine, thank you."

Alex sensed discomfort in his roommate's face, so he decided to put an end to the current conversation. "Dudes, food is getting cold, and I'm freaking starving. Let's eat."

Fortunately, the group listened to him and began eating dinner while making small talk in between. The awkward tension was able to subside, and it was almost as if the past five minutes of spontaneous confessions hadn't happened at all.

* * *

After the dinner, Jackson had gone back to April and Alex's apartment for the rest of the night. He was stressed due to meeting Amber for the first time and being forced to sit close to Sloan during dinner, and he knew that April was stressed as well. Her bubbly mood had dropped many levels from that morning. She was quieter and less talkative, and he hoped that she would explain to him why. Instead, they ended up ripping off each other's clothes once they reached her bedroom. He didn't want to stop her. Sex was one of the best ways to relieve stress, at least for him.

He suspected that something was wrong because she didn't seem to be into it as much as he was. Her fingernails weren't digging into his back compared to their previous sexual encounters. She wasn't moaning or panting as loud as she normally did. Her mind seemed to be completely elsewhere.

Jackson forced himself to pull out of April, but he remained on top of her using his hands to support himself. "What's wrong?" he whispered, taking note of the frown on her face.

"Were you upset earlier?" she inquired. "About Lexie and Sloan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did the idea of them together bother you? You weren't jealous of him?" she clarified, gently biting down on her bottom lip. "You seemed pissed after Lexie told everybody about their relationship."

He slightly raised both eyebrows, surprised that she was concerned about that. All along, he thought it had to do with her phone conversation with her mother, and the fact that she was aware he had been eavesdropping. "No, I wasn't bothered. Grossed out would summarize my feelings best. I just think she can do so much better than that asshole."

"Okay," she quietly said, forcing a smile.

Her voice breaking hadn't gone unnoticed by Jackson. They were in the middle of sex and she looked as if she was about to burst into tears at any second. Clearly, everything was not fine. "What's on your mind?" he asked, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Are you worried that I might still have feelings for Lexie? Because I only care about her as a friend. That's the truth."

"I believe you," she insisted.

"Then, what's the matter?"

April sighed, lightly grasping both sides of Jackson's face. "You make me really happy. I hope I make you just as happy. The thought of me not making you happy scares me a lot," she admitted, tears creeping out from the corners of her eyes. "I… I don't want to end up alone because I make you unhappy."

Jackson wiped away her tears with his thumb. "You do make me happy. I can't help but smile whenever you walk into the room. When we're not in the same room I miss your voice, your laugh, everything. That's how happy I am with you." He leaned in, smiling as he kissed her lips. "Don't ever worry about making me unhappy, okay?"

She quickly nodded before pulling him in for a more passionate kiss. They eventually fell back into their routine, this time successfully finishing without another interruption. They had fallen asleep, but Jackson woke up an hour later to use the bathroom and to get a glass of water. He carefully climbed out of bed hoping not to wake up his girlfriend. He slipped on his boxers and quietly left the bedroom.

After using the bathroom, Jackson entered the living room where Amber was comfortably sprawled out on the couch and wide awake. Her laptop was sitting on top of her stomach, but she managed to peer over it when she spotted her brother walking towards the kitchen.

"Thank God, we're related and I'm not straight," she quipped. "Women totally faint at the sight of you, huh?"

"I try not to notice," he chuckled, setting his glass in the sink after he finished drinking from it. "It's 2 AM. Why are you still up?"

"I'm a college student, it's the offseason for volleyball, and it's my Christmas break. Oh, and it was a Friday night," Amber amusingly replied. "You were in my shoes once. Don't tell me you weren't a night owl before you became a doctor."

Jackson smirked, approaching Amber from the kitchen. "Fine. Guilty." He took a seat on the coffee table and was greeted by a throw pillow tossed his way. "What's this for?"

"To cover your junk," she casually answered. "Boxers are too tight. I don't need to see _that_."

"You're so much like Karev that it's frightening," he jokingly said, setting the throw pillow on his lap. "He probably taught you everything, huh? You two share the same vocabulary and personality. Are you planning on becoming a doctor too?"

"Yeah. Dad says I don't have to, but I want to. Growing up around medicine, it kind of just feels fitting, ya know?" Although Amber wasn't directly looking at Jackson, she figured he had nodded based on the lack of verbal response. She closed her laptop and sat upright on the couch to face him. "What's your last memory of him?"

Jackson slowly shrugged. His memories of Dalton Avery were very fuzzy. Anything he could remember might be images he created in his head, but never actually happened. "I don't know. He left when I was three." He raised his eyebrow at Amber. "What has he said about me?"

"Umm, a lot of things. That he has a ton of regrets when it comes to you. He should've been a better father to you. He told me about how you would sneak into his office when he was working at home, and you'd play peekaboo from behind his desk. Said you always laughed when he pretended he didn't spot you in time before you went back into hiding," she recalled. "Well, I know about the time you broke Alex's nose-"

"We don't have to relive that moment," he interrupted, pursing his lips. "He knows I work with your brother, doesn't he?"

Amber nodded. "But Alex never told him he was coming here until after the fact. It was a surprise for him too." She paused for a moment. "And Alex is your brother too. He may not be connected to you by blood, but he's family. We're all family. I hope one day you'll be able to accept that."

"Sure," he answered, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I'm going back to bed. Goodnight."

"Hold on a second." Amber reached for her backpack, which was sitting on the floor next to the couch. She retrieved a small photograph from her wallet and set it on Jackson's lap. "I got this for you. I kind of stole this during my detour in Iowa. Dad doesn't know I took it, but he has a ton of other pictures, so it'll be hard to notice it's missing."

Jackson held the photograph in his hand, staring at it closely. It was a picture of himself when he was 3 years old, clad in a Harvard sweatshirt, and he was sitting on his father's shoulders. Both smiled brightly, his hands resting on top of Dalton's head. They appeared to be genuinely enjoying each other's company. The memory of when the photo was taken was a blank space in his head, but it made him miss his father just a little bit.

He immediately shut down those feelings and stood up. "Thanks for this. I mean it. Thanks."

Amber smiled in return. "If you ever want to call him, the door is open."

"Right." Jackson turned to leave, but he stopped and looked back at Amber. "I'm glad we met. You're not as bad as Alex."

She laughed in response. "You're not as pretty as April."

The two of them shared a laugh, then Jackson pointed towards the direction of April's bedroom. "I'm going before this conversation becomes too awkward for the both of us," he lightheartedly replied. "See you in the morning."

Returning to April's bedroom, Jackson didn't immediately return to bed. He sat down at his girlfriend's desk, picked up a flashlight that was sitting by her lamp, and turned it on to examine the photograph of himself and Dalton once more. After his conversation with Amber, he had even more questions he wanted answered. If what she had told him about their father was true, then perhaps there was more to the story of Dalton's abandonment than he originally thought.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think, please! Up next: a mini time jump and you'll finally find out why April left Mayo :)**


	14. Ghost from the Past

**Thank you for the reviews! For those who asked, Jo and Alex haven't had sex yet. That will be covered in this story once drama dies down a bit. Don't worry, guys. I'm not glossing over that part of their relationship and they will get more focus again soon :)**

* * *

It almost felt as if April had been sucked down a black hole, and she was never getting out. She sat on her bed, blankly staring at the wall. Her body felt numb. She didn't have the strength to lift a finger because she felt so weak. It didn't matter to her that Alex had been pounding on her locked door for the last fifteen minutes. He had threatened to break open the door multiple times, but she knew it was an empty threat. She was in her own world, so everything he had been saying outside of her bedroom was going into one ear and out the other.

Nobody could help her at that moment, or at least she believed so. Not even her roommate, who knew why she had to leave Mayo and the state of Minnesota, could help her.

She wanted to be left alone.

* * *

 _9 hours earlier…_

April's alarm clock woke her up at exactly 6 AM. She reached for her clock on the end table, eyes remaining shut, and turned it off with one quick slap. Slowly climbing out of her bed, she smiled when a larger hand gently grasped her waist to keep her from leaving.

"Jackson, it's time to get up," she softly laughed, turning her head to look back at her boyfriend. His eyes were still closed as he buried his face into the pillow. "Okay, you can stay in bed if you want, but I'm going to take a shower."

Finally, his eyes fluttered open, just in time to catch April's naked backside before she covered her body with her bathrobe. He smiled contently before saying, "You know we don't have to be at the hospital until 8 o'clock, right?" He slowly sat up and stretched his arms over his head. "Why so early?"

"Well, I made a schedule in my head last night before we fell asleep," she explained, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Two hours gives me plenty of time to shower, prepare breakfast for you and Alex, get ready for work and drive to the hospital."

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you can do all of that in less than two hours," Jackson insisted, crawling towards April. He sat behind her and placed a soft kiss against the side of her neck. "You're quick and efficient when it comes to schedules. You always finish early with time to spare."

April playfully slapped Jackson's hand away when he reached for the tie of her bathrobe. "Actually, I was hoping you would join me… in the shower," she seductively replied. "That's partially why I set up the alarm earlier, so we can claim it before Alex wakes up. We haven't tried it yet, so…"

"Taking a shower together, or sex in the shower?" he teased.

"Both." She stood up and rushed towards the door before he could grab her. "While you contemplate your next move, I will be in the bathroom and disrobing. I'll leave the door unlocked."

Jackson smiled as April giggled on her way out of the bedroom. He lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. His brain was telling him to catch a few more minutes of sleep. On the other hand, his friend below the waist was telling him what an idiot he would be if he passed up morning sex in the shower with his girlfriend. The answer was a no-brainer.

He practically leaped out of bed, picking up his boxers. As he was about to slip them on, he stopped himself. What would be the point, really? He was going to remove them anyway and he would be leaving the bathroom in a towel. April had purposely set up her alarm earlier than she needed to, so Alex would still be asleep. He dropped his boxers and left the bedroom fully nude.

The bathroom was only about ten feet away, but just as he was going to open the door, Alex stepped out of his bedroom. "Dude!" he shouted, shielding his eyes with his forearm. He wished he hadn't seen Jackson in all of his glory, but the image remained cemented in his head. It also hadn't helped that the pretty boy was partially aroused. "Put that thing away!"

Jackson covered himself with both hands and grimaced. "Why are you even up? Don't you sleep in later than April does?" he retorted. "She set her alarm earlier than she had to!"

"I planned on going into work a little early today, but I may need an ambulance to take me to the ER after seeing your freaking dick first thing in the morning!" Alex complained. "I think I've gone blind. Ever hear of clothes?"

"I was on my way to the bathroom to join April in the shower," he said through gritted teeth. His answer only made Alex groan in disgust.

Alex waved his free arm as he turned his back towards Jackson. "Well, hurry up and get in there. I've already seen more of you than I ever wanted. And keep it clean in there! I have to shower too, you know!" he sneered, walking back into his bedroom.

Jackson snickered as he listened to the gagging noises and curse words coming from Alex's bedroom. He entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him. "Sorry," he muttered, climbing into the shower.

"What are you sorry for?" April curiously asked, pulling him towards the running water.

"For the lecture you might receive from Karev later," he sheepishly answered. "I may have scarred him for life."

* * *

"Look, all I'm saying is, if your boyfriend is gonna keep spending the night at our apartment, he can't be walking around naked like he owns the place," Alex irritably told April during the drive to work. He had been moody since his unexpected run-in with Jackson and his penis. While the other two mainly found the incident amusing, he felt the opposite. "You made me follow your rules, so that's my rule. No free flying willies when I'm home."

April covered her face with her hand and sighed. "I already said that I'm sorry. It won't happen again," she responded, attempting to hide the smile on her face.

Alex shook his head. "He's turned you into some sex crazed monster or whatever."

"Whatever! You and your booty calls from medical school and Mayo were doing it all over the place," she accusingly answered, then she pointed at herself. "Jackson and I have only been intimate one time at the hospital, and that was the day Amber came to visit. Every other time has been in my bedroom or his."

"And now the shower," he mumbled. "I was afraid to touch the walls after knowing what you two freaks were doing in there."

April blushed as she playfully smacked Alex's shoulder. "Can we not? W-we are _not_ dirty porn stars who soil the apartment with sweat and… other stuff," she stammered, glancing out the window. "Besides, whenever you and Jo start having sex, you'll be the same way."

"If we ever have sex…" he corrected her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know. It's different with her. We're dating and stuff. She's not a random booty call like in the past," Alex awkwardly explained. "We're still taking it slow. I'm trying to be more comfortable around Cat. Sex isn't the priority yet."

April softly chuckled and she gently pinched Alex's cheek. "Aww, look at you, becoming a total sap now," she teased, drawing a scowl from her roommate. "Oh, relax. I think it's sweet that you're taking your time. You were never really one to wait."

"Sometime in the middle of a random night, we switched personalities," he speculated. "Maybe it's Avery, or you're just more comfortable with showing off that rack of yours-"

"Alex!" she scolded him. "You said you stopped looking."

Alex mischievously grinned. "No, I said I stopped picturing you naked. Doesn't mean I don't occasionally stare at your boobs." He ignored the scowl on her face and laughed. "What? I look at everyone's boobs. You've known that since med school."

"Yeah, but I have a boyfriend and Jackson would kick your ass if he caught you looking," April reminded him. "Maybe Jo would too. I think she's capable."

"I'm more worried about what Cat would do," he quipped.

"How's that going? You've had dinner at Jo's apartment a few times now," she inquired.

Dinner with Jo's family had been pleasant so far. Her grandmother loved asking him questions about Iowa, while Cat always wanted to know about the different surgeries he had scrubbed in to. Jo, on the other hand, would cut off Alex whenever he started to because the last topic she was interested in was work following a long shift. Alex and Cat battled each other with the Xbox after every dinner. Sometimes he forced himself to lose just to stay on the young girl's good side.

The first time he joined them for dinner, he had been apprehensive. Aside from his own family, bonding with other people hardly came easy for him. The easiest group of people he had connected with instantly were his wresting teammates in college, though the testosterone overload in the locker room occasionally brought out the worst in him.

He wasn't quite sure if he could do it, dating a woman and kind of the rest of her small family. But Cat hadn't turned out to be the devil child he envisioned prior to dinner, and Jeanette was one of the sweetest grandmothers he had ever met. Now that they had done dinner multiple times, he was becoming more comfortable around them. The lack of drama in his personal life felt rewarding.

"It's cool," Alex casually replied. "We're having dinner outside of the apartment for a change. It's just pizza, but whatever. Jo is trying to break out of hiding and go out with her family more than before. I don't know what time I'll be home, but if Avery is spending the night again…"

"He won't walk around naked. I promise," she chuckled. "I don't think he'll be spending the night anyway. We've only been dating for a few months, so there are still some boundaries. Plus, I feel bad that he leaves George all alone at his apartment."

Alex snickered. "Maybe O'Malley's relieved. It means he doesn't have to listen to you two," he jokingly said. "Besides, isn't he still dating that nurse or something? He gets his place to himself, while I have to suffer every other night."

"You're being dramatic," April playfully argued.

"I'm being honest," he insisted. "It's different when you're the one making all the noise."

April waved her hands. "Alright, let's stop talking about my sex life. Jackson is my first serious boyfriend in a while, and I'm taking advantage of the honeymoon phase for as long as it lasts."

"Well, when you're practically dating a sex god it'll last for an eternity," her roommate sarcastically stated.

"Would that be so bad?" she timidly asked.

"What?" Alex looked back at April when they reached a red light. She was nervously chewing on her bottom lip, and he raised his eyebrow at her. "Are you in love with Avery or whatever?"

"No! I mean, maybe. I don't know." April scrunched her nose, then she sheepishly smiled at Alex. "But I could… fall in love with him. I think it's possible that Jackson could be _it._ The one. I don't say that lightly. Love hasn't exactly been the kindest to me since high school."

Alex nodded. "Yeah, I get it. There's nothing wrong with protecting yourself a bit, but if you do feel that way about him, maybe you should tell him," he advised. "From a third person's point of view, the guy is completely whipped. Maybe you should take a chance. You already did it once when you kissed him first."

"But what if… what if he doesn't actually feel the same way?" she worriedly questioned.

"Then I'm kicking his ass," he bluntly answered. She scoffed in response. "I'm serious. We made a deal. He hurts you, I get to kick his ass. And with the whole family connection, I'm kind of allowed."

April laughed. "Kind of allowed? That won't stop him from pressing charges if you were to go through with it."

"Oh, c'mon. I'm just messing around. I doubt it would even come to that," Alex assured her. "Despite our differences and stuff, he doesn't seem like that type of guy. He buys you flowers and crap for no major reason. He's a good guy."

* * *

April and Jo stood side by side as they scrubbed their hands at the sink in OR 2. Both of them were working in the pit when a trauma arrived at the hospital an hour after their shift began. A freak accident at a construction site resulted in a worker being impaled through the chest by a steel pipe. Hunt had asked them to scrub in with him and Altman for the delicate, yet complicated surgery.

"I know I'll sound like an awful person for saying this, but I'm excited for this surgery," Jo lightheartedly said. "How does this man get impaled through the chest and _not_ die? Of course, miracles happen all the time, but this pipe barely missed his heart!"

"And you know who's going to be so jealous of us? Our boyfriends," April chuckled. "Alex is in Peds and Jackson got stuck in Plastics with Sloan, so neither of them are going to be happy about this."

"I'm not sure who I should feel more bad for – Jackson, for being on Sloan's service, or Alex, for having to see Jackson's penis this morning," the brunette replied in amusement. "Maybe we can consider them even. Alex doesn't seem to despise working in Peds as much as he pretends to. I think Robbins knocked some sense into him."

"Cat might have something to do with it too," April suggested. "They get along, so maybe Alex is willing to be more open about pediatric surgery. Nice kids soften people, even the coldest ones."

Jo smiled to herself. She really did appreciate the fact that her daughter and boyfriend were bonding. "She told me before she left for school that she's looking forward to tonight. I don't recall a time that she was this excited for pizza."

"Hey, if you ever want to be alone with Alex at our place, just let me know. I'm sure Jackson and I can find something to do other than hang out at the apartment," she offered.

"Thanks. Honestly, it's weird to think about having sex. It stopped being such a priority after I had Cat," she admitted. "And between you and me, I don't think I've had sex since my undergrad years. I'm seriously afraid that I've forgotten how to have sex!"

"The clinic has pamphlets all about it. It's amazing how much information you can find on the Internet too," April teasingly answered. Jo splashed water at her in response. She laughed as she finished rinsing her hands. "You'll be fine. When you're ready – it's like riding a bicycle."

Jo slightly grimaced. "Would you think less of me if I told you that I've never ridden one?" Her friend gave her a wide-eyed stare, then she softly laughed. "My parents never taught me. I took a bus to school growing up, and I preferred walking to class in college. It happens!"

April smirked as they entered the OR. "Maybe that's something you and Alex can add to your list of date ideas."

"Sure, as long as he doesn't give me a bike with training wheels as a joke."

* * *

Suddenly, working with Mark Sloan was comparable to working with a ghost. Jackson had been left alone in the burn unit to treat a couple of his patients, while the plastic surgeon was busy with a conference call – or so he claimed. Since his relationship with Lexie came to light, Jackson had been skeptical of Sloan's change in teaching. A few months ago, he wouldn't have left a third year resident alone to tend to a patient's wounds. He wouldn't have been able to touch the patient at all.

For over two hours, Jackson had been by himself without his superior checking in on him once. It felt strange, but also refreshing to not have Sloan breathing down his neck while he worked. When he texted his boss that he was going to the cafeteria for lunch, all he received in return was a thumbs up emoji.

He thought perhaps Lexie had told Mark to go easier on him, which somewhat made him sick to his stomach. But he had also expected the opposite because he was the ex-boyfriend. It would have been a perfect reason for him to abuse his power over a resident. Jackson wasn't going to complain, though. This was the first time an attending had given him a ton of freedom under their service.

Since he had finished what Sloan had asked him to do, Jackson went downstairs to the lobby for a cup of coffee. He also decided to check the OR board for any interesting surgeries he could observe until he was paged. Skimming the OR board, he sipped his coffee as his eyes stopped at the sight of April's name. She had been in surgery for a few hours now, and he hadn't seen her since that morning at her apartment, so it was a no-brainer where he was going.

"Busy day, huh?"

Jackson turned his head to his right where a tall, Caucasian man in street clothes stood beside him. "Yeah, it kind of always is around here," he politely answered. He noticed the man was reading the OR board closely, as if he was studying it. "Do you need help or anything?"

"Actually, yes. I'm looking for someone. Do you know Alex Karev?" the man inquired.

"I wish I could say I don't, but that's not the case," he jokingly replied. "Why are you looking for him?"

"We're old wrestling buddies. Haven't seen him in years, but I was in town. Heard he works here now," the other man said, smiling back at Jackson. "Thought I'd surprise him. Do you know where he could be at the moment?"

"I think he's upstairs in the peds ward," Jackson responded, pulling his cell phone out of his lab coat pocket. "I could send him a text and let him know that you're here… what's your name, by the way?"

The man extended his hand out to Jackson. "Tom."

"Alright, Tom. I'm Dr. Avery," he introduced himself, shaking the man's hand. Jackson pointed towards the waiting area in the lobby. "How about you have a seat over there? I'll go upstairs and see if Karev is available."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," the other man graciously said before they parted ways.

Truthfully, Jackson was going to OR 2's observation gallery instead to watch Hunt and Altman's surgery. He decided to send Alex a text message as a courtesy to inform him that another surprise visitor had arrived. Once he settled into his seat in the observation gallery, he received a reply from his coworker.

 _Who the hell is Tom?_

Jackson furrowed his brow as he quickly replied back to Alex. The latter's next reply increased his curiosity.

 _I don't know anybody named Tom._

Rather than pester Alex with pointless text messages, Jackson asked him to meet him in the observation gallery. Alex told him that he was busy waiting for test results at the lab and to come find him after the surgery. It took another hour, and by then, his coworker had found him first. At the same time, the surgery was finished as April and Jo left to scrub out.

"Dude, who is this Tom guy and why is he looking for me?" Alex questioned as the two of them left the observation gallery.

"You tell me. Is this another long lost relative I don't know about?" Jackson sarcastically replied. "Because this man knew your name, so he obviously knows you to some extent. I don't know if he's still waiting downstairs in the lobby, but if he is, then he definitely knows you."

Alex scrunched his face in confusion. "But I don't freaking know anybody named Tom! I swear, if he's some loser spawn from my real father and he's asking for money, I'm going to kick his ass," he grumbled. "And it's totally possible that he knocked some chick up while he was high."

Jackson smirked. "At least he wouldn't be related to me."

"Whatever. Just take me to this guy," he retorted.

As they strolled through the hallway, they were met by April and Jo, who were exiting the OR area after scrubbing out. "Oh, look who came to congratulate us on a successful surgery," the redhead chirped, removing her scrub cap from her head. "Yes, I saw you watching us, Jackson."

"And it's okay to be jealous of the amazing surgery we were a part of," Jo added, grinning at the two men.

"I didn't even see it," Alex scoffed. "I was upstairs in the peds ward, and Avery texted me about some dude named Tom. Apparently, he's looking for me, but I don't know anybody of that name. We're going downstairs to the lobby to check it out."

"We'll go downstairs with you. April and I were going to buy some coffee. That procedure was draining – but also very worth it," Jo gloated, drawing eye rolls from both men. "Okay, I'm done bragging. Stop pouting, you guys."

They rode the elevator down to the main lobby of the surgical wing. Walking closer towards the waiting area, Jackson stopped a decent distance away to point out the man. "There. That guy says his name is Tom."

Alex found the man Jackson was pointing at and he clenched his fists. "Son of a bitch…" he murmured to himself, but his reaction was within earshot of his peers.

"What? What is it?" April curiously asked.

The other man noticed their presence and slowly pushed himself up to his feet. He offered a half-smile, slipping his hands out of his jacket pockets as he approached them. "April."

Before he could get any closer, Alex charged towards the man and delivered a hard right hook to his jaw, causing him to fall onto the floor. He crouched down, lifting the man up by his shirt. "What the hell are you doing here, Matthew?"

He ignored the question as he tried to make eye contact with April. She began to back away out of fear. "April, wait!"

Jackson grew instantly concerned when April ran away from the scene. Jo rushed towards Alex to stop what appeared to be a very uneven fist fight with the other man.

"Alex, stop!" Jo yelled, grabbing her boyfriend's shoulders. However, he was too strong to restrain. "Stop! You'll kill him!"

Jackson finally intervened just as security arrived. He forcefully pulled Alex away from the wounded man, who remained lying on the floor. "Karev, knock it off! Bailey's gonna have your ass for this," he warned him. He looked down at the other man, who was being assisted by Jo. "Who is he?"

"Get away from him, Wilson! The guy is a pathetic excuse for a human being!" Alex furiously demanded. He barely cared that his right fist had swelled up quickly. His anger towards the surprise visitor overpowered the pain in his hand. "Dude, you're not supposed to be here! She has a restraining order against you!"

"Restraining order?" Jackson reiterated. He stood in between the two men to ensure that Alex wouldn't attack him again. "I'll ask one more time. Who _is_ this guy? Somebody give me an answer right now because I'm losing my damn patience."

"I'd like some answers too," Chief Bailey sternly said after arriving in the lobby. She approached Alex, and despite her shorter stature, it didn't diminish the intimidating expression on her face as she stared him down. "Dr. Karev, my office. _Now_."

Alex softly groaned. "It was self-defense."

Bailey placed her hands on her hips. "Did I stutter? My office, pronto!" She turned around, pointing at the other man, whose real name appeared to be Matthew. "And somebody take this man to the ER, and clean him up, please."

Jo sighed as she escorted him past Jackson. "I'll take care of it."

As the scene began to die down, Jackson only had one question in his mind – Where did April go?

* * *

George entered a supply closet searching for surgical drape sheets. He walked past a few shelves until he reached the last one. His eye caught a familiar face hiding in between the last two metal shelves. She held her knees against her chest and she appeared to be talking to herself. "April?" He moved closer to his friend and knelt down in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"Why is he here? Why is he here?" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

"Who? Who's here?" George cautiously asked. April ignored his question and continued to break down. He had never seen her behave this way, and it was concerning. She buried her face against her knees and sobbed. "Do you want me to get Karev or Jackson? Or does it have to do with either of them?"

April quietly shook her head, though George was unsure which question she was answering to. He adjusted his position on the floor, sitting down beside her. There wasn't much to do but sit and wait, and hope that she would answer him eventually. Whatever had happened to her, it had visibly shaken her up.

* * *

Standing on the catwalk outside of Bailey's office, Jackson watched the conversation between Alex and the Chief, but it hadn't been the in your face scolding he had expected from her. There was some finger pointing, but overall, it appeared calm inside. Even his coworker kept his composure while he iced his right hand. He was met by Jo and Lexie, who arrived together to join the eavesdropping party.

"Jo told me what happened. Is Karev getting fired?" Lexie inquisitively asked.

"It doesn't look like it. He's been in Bailey's office for at least twenty minutes now, and I've seen her blow up on a resident before for lesser offenses. She's been fairly relaxed in there," Jackson replied, his eyes glued to Bailey's office. "Did you get any information on that guy, Jo?"

Jo shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "He never spoke a word when I treated his nose and the cut on his lip. I think Alex broke his nose," she answered. "Then he fled as soon as I finished. He was already out the door before I even started cleaning up the area."

Jackson furrowed his brow. "Neither of you saw April on your way here?"

"No, but Sloan is wondering where you are," Lexie noted.

Jackson retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and found numerous unread text messages from the plastic surgeon. His attention had been so focused on Bailey and Alex that he never noticed the vibrations from his phone alerting him of new messages. "Oh, whatever. He can bitch me out all he wants, but I don't care right now."

The meeting between Alex and Bailey ended when the third year resident stood up to leave the office. "Guys, they're done," Jo announced. The three of them turned their attention towards the end of the catwalk as Alex stepped out of Bailey's office.

Bailey noticed the small audience and pointed towards them. "Hey, this isn't a free show. Back to work!" she sternly ordered before returning to her office.

When Alex reached the middle of the catwalk he knew he would be bombarded with too many questions. He quickly walked past them, but unsurprisingly, his coworkers followed him into a hallway. "If you guys don't stop following me, I swear…"

"Well, what happened to you? Did she fire you?" Jo probed, grabbing a hold of Alex's arm to stop him. "Give us something because we're left in the dark about whatever the hell happened with that man downstairs, and we haven't seen April since."

"I'm not fired, but Bailey suspended me for a week. And she's giving April the rest of the week off, so I have to go get her and take her home," Alex impatiently answered. "O'Malley sent me a text. He found her, and she's not exactly in the greatest emotional state at the moment."

"Just tell us who that man is, Karev," Jackson demanded. "Why did April run away?"

Alex placed his hands on his hips, turning around to face his peers. "Listen, I'm only gonna give you the short version because that's all I have time for," he retorted. "That dickhole is Matthew Taylor. He was in our residency class at Mayo. He was also April's fiancé. He's the reason why she left Mayo and came here. Idiot isn't supposed to be within 300 feet of her or have any contact with her. I don't know what the hell he was thinking."

"You mean, he abused her?" Lexie glumly replied.

"Well, I wouldn't say that exactly, but he wasn't Prince Charming either. Anyway, I have to leave. Avery, just come over after work or something," Alex stated, then he guiltily glanced back at Jo. "I'm sorry, but I have to bail on dinner tonight."

"No, I understand," Jo insisted. "Go home, Alex. Just call me later."

After Alex left, Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling sharply. "Do you know which direction that Matthew guy went?" he angrily asked Jo. Based on what April had told him about Mayo in the past, he had an idea about had truly happened to her. He was fuming. "Because if I run into him-"

"Jackson, I don't want to sound insensitive, but he's not your problem," Lexie argued. "And I doubt April would want you to go after him only to get yourself into serious trouble. In fact, if you involve yourself, you might make the situation worse."

"He did something terrible to my girlfriend! I can't do nothing." Jackson began pacing back and forth in front of Jo and Lexie. "You know, I was a bit suspicious about why she wouldn't tell me everything about herself, but I didn't expect it to be over some guy. She seemed happy for the most part."

"Sometimes when people experience something traumatic, they repress those memories and pretend it never happened," Jo suggested. "And it's not until a trigger causes those memories to resurface, and it forces them to come face to face with it all over again."

Lexie nodded in agreement. "That's true. Perhaps Matthew was her trigger."

"I wish I had never spoken to him," Jackson muttered. "If he hadn't been standing beside me while I skimmed the OR board, maybe he never would've seen April in the first place."

"It's not your fault, though," Jo reminded him. "You didn't know. It was just a bad coincidence."

"Did you see her face when she recognized him? She looked terrified," Jackson recalled, shaking his head. He started to walk away from the two women. "To hell with Sloan, I'm leaving early."

* * *

Alex opened the front door when Jackson arrived. They barely greeted each other as the latter entered the apartment, quickly removing his jacket and tossing it onto the couch. "Where is she?"

"Locked herself in her bedroom," Alex dejectedly replied. "I gave up on knocking about ten minutes ago when she told me to leave her alone. I'm giving her some space before I finally boulder my way through that door with my body."

Jackson sat down on the couch, rubbing the back of his head. "Karev, I don't ask for much, but I need to know what happened to her. I don't think she'll want to talk about it, but I know that you know everything. So spill it," he requested.

"Dude, she might kill me if I tell you…"

"Then, I'll take the blame," he offered. "Besides, I kind of owe you for doing what you did. We haven't met eye to eye for the most part, but you and I both care about April, so I'm asking you as… your brother."

It was the first time Jackson referred to them as brothers, which caught Alex slightly off-guard. While there was a hint of desperation in his tone, he knew that Jackson's feelings for April were genuine and he wanted to protect her just as much as he did.

Alex went into the kitchen to get himself a beer. He sensed they were in for a long night. "Like I said earlier, Matthew was in our residency class. Actually, he was the unlucky intern who had to do an appendectomy. He nearly killed the patient. I started to crap on him, others joined in, and he almost had this mental breakdown in front of everybody. Then, April stepped in. She defended him and he was grateful about it. They started dating a while after that. Everything seemed fine," he explained. He sipped his beer and sat down at the dining table. "But I guess Matthew had this temper that people rarely saw. April was the person who kept him calm. Something never felt right to me about that guy. Dude came off appearing too perfect. Like, he was too damn nice for my taste."

"Was he ever physical with April?" Jackson asked.

"Not that I know of. She occasionally ranted to me about how Matthew called her a name or said something shitty to her because he was pissed about something, but he'd apologize afterwards. They were in love or whatever, so she was quick to defend him. Maybe a bit scared of him too. But this is when things became a little more complicated," he continued, slightly frowning. "He knocked her up. So, he proposed to her. Sounds like such a sweetheart, huh?"

Jackson raised an eyebrow at Alex. "She was pregnant? What happened to the baby?"

Alex took another swig from his beer bottle, then he sighed. "She was around seven months when it happened. The wedding planning and residency were stressing Matthew out big time. See, April was the better resident. She was more efficient and well-liked by the attendings. He struggled a bit. I could tell he somewhat resented her for that. I don't know what the argument was about because I wasn't there when it happened, but his temper went overboard and he pushed her down the stairs at the hospital. The ruptured spleen was legit. She just left out some details. If Yang hadn't shown up at the right time, April could be dead right now."

"Yang saved her?" Jackson wrote a memo to himself in his head to never talk crap about Cristina Yang again.

"Sort of. From what I've heard, she spooked Matthew when she appeared at the bottom of the stairs, and he ran off. But I guess, yeah. Yang helped save April. That's why she doesn't treat her like crap over here."

"So why is Matthew walking around like he didn't do anything?"

Alex softly groaned. "He's one lucky son of a bitch. They charged him with manslaughter in the second degree for the unborn kid, and he only received 18 months in prison. His defense attorney did a damn good job convincing everybody that he was a freaking nice guy who had one bad slip. He had a clean record, so it was easy. He only served five months and got out early for good behavior." He shook his head disappointedly before finishing his beer. "When April heard he was getting out early she wanted to leave Minnesota as fast as possible. Plus, she was tired of all of the whispering and the stares behind her back from everyone else. That's how we ended up here. Bailey knows about all of this. She just didn't know Matthew was the guy I was beating the crap out of earlier. Not the first time I've done it."

"Yeah?"

Alex nodded. "Cost me a month of surgery, but it was worth it. Matthew didn't have the balls to press charges. He knew he fucked up, so he just took it. That doesn't mean he's a good person. April got caught up in that love crap because he was the first guy to feel that way about her. She thought he was the one," he added. "She deserved better, though."

Jackson slowly rose to his feet. "Mind if I try talking to her?" Alex simply shook his head before standing up to get himself another beer. "Thanks for telling me, Karev."

After receiving a muffled response from Alex, Jackson walked through the small hallway and stopped in front of April's bedroom. He quietly took a deep breath, hoping she would open the door for him. He lightly knocked on the door. "April? It's Jackson. Can I come in, please?"

There wasn't a response for a full minute, which made him nervous. Just as he thought about asking Alex to help him break down the door, he heard it unlock from inside and the door cracked open. He slowly pushed it open to find April, still dressed in her baby blue scrubs, seated along the edge of her bed. He entered the bedroom, closing the door behind him. As he slowly approached her, he noticed a sonogram picture beside her. It had to be of her deceased child, he thought.

"Is it okay if I sit down with you?" he carefully asked. She barely nodded her head, but she didn't scoot away when he sat down beside her on the bed.

"Alex told you everything, huh?" April murmured, staring down at her sonogram picture. "I was supposed to have a boy. One minute, he's kicking in my belly. Then the next thing, I wake up after surgery and he's gone."

Jackson cleared his throat as he reached for his girlfriend's hand. "I'm sorr-"

"Don't say you're sorry. I don't want you to feel sorry for me just like everybody else did at Mayo," she firmly stated. "I wanted to believe that I was past all of this, that the therapy I was forced to attend and the anti-depressants were behind me. I came to Seattle, so I can start over. And I didn't want to fall for you, Jackson. After Matthew, I wasn't sure if I could trust anybody again. I'm sorry I kept the truth from you, but I hate talking about it. I don't want to relive any of it. And then _he_ showed up at the hospital and I panicked."

"You don't have to apologize. I understand," he assured her. "For the record, I would never hurt you the way he did. I promise you that."

April finally looked back at Jackson. "I don't want you to feel obligated to stay with me because you know my tragic backstory."

Jackson stared at her with a puzzled expression on his face. "Why would you think that?" he slowly questioned. "What I know about you now doesn't change anything between us. If you're worried that I'll walk away because the news is too much to handle, don't be. I'm not going anywhere, okay? April, I lo-"

"Please, don't say it," she unhappily replied, wiping the tears from her eyes with her hands. "If you say it now, I'm just going to assume you're saying it to make me feel better. I know you're going to tell me that you're not, but hearing you say it will only make me feel worse, so don't say it."

Jackson frowned as he looked down at his shoes. "Okay," he whispered. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No." April scooted towards the top of her bed and lay on her side. "I'm going to take a nap."

"That's fine. It's been a long day," he sighed, turning around to watch her sleep. After the sudden turn of events that opened the door to April's past, he refused to leave her out of his sight. "I'll be here when you wake up."

* * *

 **Now that you know the dirt, let me know what you think, please! :)**


	15. Recovery Mode

**Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate the feedback! :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ah, shit!" Alex shouted, waving his hand after trying to grab a hot skillet without an oven mitt. It hadn't helped that he had burned his breakfast – a failed attempt at making his own version of eggs, sausage and potatoes. He used a small towel to pick up the skillet and dump its contents into the trash.

Normally, April cooked breakfast for the both of them. If she left for work earlier than he did, he simply went for his Crispy Puffs cereal. However, he ran out of cereal, which reminded him to go grocery shopping later – a task his roommate never allowed him to do. But she hadn't been herself since the incident with Matthew the previous day. He had been surprised when she refused to let Jackson spend the night.

Alex had wondered if he should call the police to report Matthew, or even April's parents, but he decided not to. Knowing April, he knew she wouldn't want the extra attention from her family. People would likely gossip about her like their old coworkers did at Mayo when she returns to work. He wasn't sure how to help her, but leaving Seattle wasn't an option. And as Bailey had told him, beating people up wasn't an option either.

A light knock on the front door forced him to abandon the kitchen to answer it. When Alex opened the door he was greeted by Jo, who held up a bag of bagels. "Hungry?" she lightheartedly said.

"How did you know?" he softly laughed, kissing his girlfriend on the lips before allowing her into the apartment.

"Just a lucky guess." Jo smelled the awful scent of burnt food and smiled. "I came in time, didn't I?"

"Whatever. I tried," Alex replied with a shrug. He returned to the kitchen to retrieve two mugs and small plates. "At least I didn't screw up the coffee."

Jo made herself comfortable at the dining table, then she removed bagels and cream cheese from the paper bag. "How's day one of your suspension treating you, so far?" she jokingly asked.

"Sucks ass," he murmured, sitting down beside her. "Robbins sent me a text telling me that this kid I've been helping her treat, his name's Tommy, he's finally getting new kidneys today. Guess who would've assisted with that surgery? Me. Now, I can't. Freaking Matthew screwed me out of a surgery."

"You didn't have to beat up the guy," she commented, shooting him a look.

Alex sighed as he smeared cream cheese onto his bagel. "I know, but if you knew him, you'd be pissed off and raging too," he defensively answered. "He's scum. He almost completely ruined April's life because of one stupid decision."

"How is she doing anyway?" Jo whispered, hoping April wasn't awake and eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Honestly, I don't know. You know it's not good when she asks Avery to go home instead of inviting him to spend the night," he glumly replied. "Dude looked heartbroken, like she actually dumped him, but thankfully, that wasn't the case."

Jo slightly frowned. "Well, I'll see him at work later. Hopefully, his mood isn't too bad." She chewed her food and quietly swallowed before she asked, "This is probably an awkward time to ask you this, but… I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Since you're not working today, would it be possible to pick up Cat from school?" she sheepishly requested. "She usually takes the bus to my grandmother's work if she doesn't have any activities after school. If you're up for it, maybe you two can hang out for a while, and I can pick her up after work."

Alex slowly chewed his food. "Would she be cool with that?"

"Your presence was missed at dinner last night," Jo noted. "All you have to do is entertain her for a bit and make sure she does her homework. But if you're worried about leaving April alone, then I understand. Just an idea I threw out, so you two can bond some more."

"Well, I can do it. I think April will be fine. She's not suicidal or anything," he insisted. Alex swallowed his food, then he suddenly shot up from his seat. "At least I hope not. Maybe I should go check on her."

Jo grasped Alex's wrist before he could leave. "Don't think like that. You'll only stress yourself out."

"But she's an early riser. Even on her day off, she's up at the crack of dawn. I have to check." He left the dining area and walked to April's bedroom. Quietly opening her door, he peeked his head inside to find her lying in bed. She appeared to be asleep, but he wasn't absolutely positive that she was breathing. He rushed towards her and shook her hard. "April, wake up."

April immediately woke up, scowling at her roommate. "Alex, what the hell is your problem?!" She grabbed one of her pillows and hit Alex across the head with it. "Get out!"

Alex raised his hands in front of his chest and forced a laugh. "Just wanted to make sure you're still alive." April responded by throwing her pillow at his face. "Okay, okay! I'm leaving!"

Jo couldn't help but laugh when Alex returned to the dining table. "She sounded thrilled," she sarcastically said, sipping her coffee.

"Hey, at least I know she's not dead," he retorted, reclaiming his seat at the dining table. "I shouldn't have pushed her to tell Avery about this. I mean, she never actually did. I ended up telling him, but I still feel guilty for pushing her. I knew that was something she wanted to forget. With Matthew showing up, that's all she's probably thinking about now."

"This isn't your fault. Neither of you expected him to show up in Seattle," she assured him, gently squeezing his hand. "So, what happened anyway?"

Alex glanced over his shoulder hoping April wasn't standing behind him. He decided to lower his voice just in case she hadn't fallen back asleep. "Matthew let his temper get the best of him over wedding planning. He pushed her down a flight of stairs at work. The fall ruptured her spleen and killed their unborn baby."

Jo covered her mouth with her hand as she softly gasped. "Oh, God. That's terrible," she whispered. "Poor April."

"She worked really hard to move on from it. She was in therapy, her parents visited from Ohio to support her. The April that you guys met when we first arrived, that was genuine. It took some time, but she was herself again," Alex explained, then he rolled his eyes. "Then, that freaking moron ruined it for her. Anyway, don't bring any of this up to her unless she wants to talk about it. And don't treat her like she's fragile. Enough people pitied her at Mayo. She was like a walking freak show over there."

Jo nodded before she finished her coffee and stood up. "I wish I could stay longer, but I have to leave for work now. Cat gets out of school at 3 o'clock. Let me know beforehand if you can't pick her up anymore." She reached into her purse for a post-it note and wrote down the address of the school. "This place is easy to find. I will send her a text to wait for you in front of the school."

"Got it. I'll be there." Alex escorted Jo to the front door and opened it for her. He leaned in to give her a long, deep kiss goodbye.

"Wow," she breathed, smiling back at her boyfriend. "What was that one for?"

"For the bagels," he nonchalantly replied, leaning against the doorway. He mischievously smirked. "Just the bagels."

Jo playfully rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the apartment. "And I thought it was because you enjoyed my company," she quipped, turning around to face him. "But thank you for agreeing to pick up Cat. It does mean a lot to me."

"She's not allergic to anything, is she? I don't want to accidentally kill her by giving her something she's not allowed to eat."

"Just shrimp, but I doubt you'll be taking her out for seafood after school, so you're safe," she answered with a smile. "Don't freak out, okay? You've already been alone in a room with her, so three or four hours won't kill you."

Alex chuckled. "I won't freak out. I used to babysit Amber, so this isn't any different. I can handle it."

* * *

April stepped out of her bedroom slowly, almost as if she had been infected by a zombie and was now one of them. She spent a few minutes in the bathroom before walking towards the living room. Alex lay sprawled out on the couch while he watched TV. He quickly noticed her disheveled appearance – her auburn hair hadn't been brushed and she was still wearing her scrubs from the previous day.

"Gonna change out of those anytime soon?" he jokingly replied. His roommate simply stared at him before she entered the kitchen for a cup of coffee. "You might want to make a new pot. That one's been sitting there for a few hours now. It's already 10 o'clock, which is probably considered late for you."

Instead of responding to him, April poured coffee into a clean mug and put it in the microwave. It would probably taste awful, she was aware of it, but at the same time, she didn't care. She stood in front of the microwave, quietly watching the seconds tick down until it was finished. Then, she leaned against the counter with her back facing Alex as she sipped her coffee.

Alex immediately became concerned. He hadn't seen April so morose since Mayo. After she had been discharged from the hospital, she spent time recovering at her apartment. When she returned to work the whispers and the stares had made her feel worse. Her insecurities were at their highest and the dimpled smile he was used to seeing was nowhere to be found. He was worried she would fall back into her depression, only the outcome might be worse.

He pushed himself up from the couch and approached her. She stared down at her coffee when he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Look, you know I'm not good at this deep talking crap, but you gotta talk to me. You can't let Matthew make you feel like shit again," he calmingly said.

"Is he still in Seattle?" she murmured.

"I don't know," he answered, frowning. "But he's not coming near you again. He'd be an idiot to try that."

April set her coffee behind her on the counter. "Thank you for doing what you did," she softly replied. "Normally, I would be against using violence to retaliate, but I'll make an exception. He doesn't deserve another chance ever."

Alex slowly nodded, though he continued to feel guilty for telling Jackson, and now Jo, about what had happened to her. "I know you didn't want Avery to find out about what Matthew did, but he was getting desperate. He asked me as my brother, and I had a hard time saying no-"

"It's okay. Maybe it was better coming from you than me. I don't think I'd be able to tell him everything myself," she dejectedly responded. "I guess that makes me a coward, but I just couldn't do it."

"You're not a coward, April. And I'm sorry for pushing you to tell him. I shouldn't have done that," he assured her. "I thought him being here would help, actually. Why'd you ask him to leave?"

April sighed deeply, then she finally made eye contact with Alex. "Because I needed to be alone. I understand that he wants to help, but I just needed the space. And he wanted to tell me that he loves me. This wasn't how I pictured it happening. How am I supposed to believe him when he tells me while I'm vulnerable and upset?"

"Because he does freakin' love you! Yeah, I know Matthew did too, but you know Jackson isn't like him," he argued. "Has he ever tried to make you feel small by tearing you down for no good reason? Did he ever call you a bitch and claim he didn't mean to? What you have with Avery is nothing like what you and Matthew had. Verbal and emotional abuse isn't love. The guy had a temper, but he also took pride in controlling your relationship. It was only a matter of time before he really blew up. You said it yourself yesterday. You think Jackson's the one."

"I said the same thing about Matthew!" she retorted.

"Do you honestly think that Matthew and Jackson are the same person? Give me a freaking break. You and I both know that you're just scared because of what happened over a year ago. You can't do that to yourself. You'll only hurt your relationship with Jackson."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. April forced her way past Alex to answer the door. Lexie stood outside in the hallway, which surprised her. "Umm, hi," she muttered, chewing on her bottom lip.

Lexie softly smiled at the redhead. "Hey, I have the day off. So, I was wondering if you wanted to get out of here?"

"Lexie, I'm really not in the mood to wander around Seattle knowing my ex might still be in town," she politely answered.

"Oh, no. I don't mean anywhere here. I was thinking out of Seattle, out of Washington," the brunette clarified, drawing a raised eyebrow from April. "Portland is a few hours away by car. I'll do the driving. I thought you could use time away from Seattle to clear your head a bit. I think it would be good for you."

April glanced back at Alex, who remained in the kitchen with a slight scowl on his face. She opened the door wider for Lexie, allowing her to enter the apartment. "Give me 20 minutes to get ready," she said, accepting the offer. "You may actually be my lifesaver right now."

* * *

Jackson pressed his forehead against the vending machine window as he stared at the Snickers bar that had gotten stuck before it was supposed to drop from the shelf. This particular moment reminded him of April's first day and how he had tried to impress her when her bag of pretzels suffered the same fate. However, he wasn't amused this time. He had a desperate urge to punch his fist through the glass to retrieve it. It was just another element to add to his growing list of frustrations.

He had been bothered by his girlfriend deciding he should go home for the night, which was the opposite of what he wanted to do. Her preference to be alone left him confused and hurt. He wanted to support her, but she seemed to be pushing him away.

He gave the machine two hard pounds with his left hand, then he groaned. "Not today, please," the pretty boy whispered through gritted teeth. Another swing at the vending machine drew stares from people passing by. He was prepared to aim for the glass when a hand grabbed a hold of his wrist.

"Don't be an idiot," Cristina scolded him. "If you're scrubbing in with me later, you need to have two healthy hands."

Jackson watched the cardiothoracic fellow insert some coins and press the numbers for a Snickers. Two bars dropped from the shelf, and she retrieved both of them. "What are you doing?"

"Offering some help, so you'll stop pouting like a child," she bluntly replied, handing him one candy bar. "Satisfied?"

"Uh, thanks… I guess," he reluctantly answered. "You're not being, I suppose I can consider it, _nice_ because of what happened yesterday with April and her ex-fiancé showing up, are you? I'm not sure what people are saying about it."

"As far as I know, nobody knows or cares that much about who Matthew Taylor is. If anything, they're talking about Karev and the beat down he gave him. And Kepner, if they don't know the whole story, then there's no reason to pity her."

Jackson furrowed his brow as Cristina walked past him. "Are you saying you're only kind to April out of pity?" He wouldn't be entirely surprised if that was the case, but he still wouldn't appreciate it. "She doesn't need your pity. She needs support."

Cristina turned around. "I never said I pitied her. I was in the OR when they took her dead baby out of her," she noted with a frown. "She didn't deserve that. April Kepner might be annoying and disgustingly too cheerful, but I don't pity her."

The tension in Jackson's face softened. "Okay," he sighed.

"So are you coming with me to prep for Mrs. Wright's surgery, or will you be moping here all day?" she cheekily asked.

Jackson cleared his throat and slightly smiled. "Umm, yeah. I'll be right behind you." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket as he followed Cristina down the hallway. He sent a text message to April asking her what she would be doing later that night. Her response only made him even more confused.

 _On my way to Portland with Lexie. Not sure what time we'll be back._

After slipping his cell phone back into his pocket, Jackson ripped away half of his Snickers wrapper and took a large bite from his candy bar. Hanging out with his ex-girlfriend all day? Yeah, he was very confused.

* * *

Lexie knew exactly what April needed when they arrived in Portland. Her coworker had been reluctant about her idea, but she insisted that a box full of sugar in the form of Voodoo doughnuts would help. They found an empty bench at a nearby park and took turns tasting the various flavors they had chosen.

"Oh, my gosh. Try this one. I hate it and love it at the same time," Lexie excitedly said, offering the other half of her chocolate doughnut that was covered with caramel and chocolate drizzles.

April laughed. "I honestly think you're trying to kill me here. Everything is so good!" She held up the doughnut currently in her hand. "I'm eating a doughnut covered with Fruit Loops. Alex would immediately retire if I brought him here."

"This place is like a godsend. I'll admit, I've done this doughnut run before in the past – the first time was after I moved back from Boston. Just graduated from med school and… I dumped Jackson," the brunette sheepishly confessed. April glanced back at her awkwardly. "I know that's a weird thing to bring up, but doing this made me temporarily feel better. Are you two okay?"

"He probably is, but I'm not," she murmured. "Seeing Matthew brought back so many bad memories. I don't know why he thought coming to Seattle would benefit either of us. He killed our child. He wasn't the charming man I met when we were interns. Everything I went through with him made me afraid to be in another relationship. He made me feel unworthy."

"And you think that will happen with Jackson?"

"Alex told me I shouldn't worry. Alex, of all people," April pointed out. "My problem is I'm afraid that _I'll_ be the disappointment. I worry so much about screwing everything up that that's exactly how I'll screw it all up."

"Having dated Jackson for almost four years, I can assure you that he won't see you as a disappointment – unless, you want him to see you in that way," Lexie insisted. "He really cares about you, April. It was obvious to me when he defended you that day I body checked you out of Yang's surgery. And he was so concerned for you yesterday. You're worthy to him."

April slowly nodded. She knew the mind games she was playing with herself only ruined her morale. Unfortunately, she had grown up with a low self-esteem due to the lack of attraction from boys at school. Sometimes it was hard to shake herself out of that mentality, especially when her ex-fiancé brought her back to square one with his temperamental outbursts towards her.

"I was going to marry Matthew despite the fact that he had the tendency to give me a verbal beat down when he was frustrated with himself or me, sometimes for no reason at all. We were discussing wedding reception plans, and he blew up over the decision to serve salmon instead of cod," she recalled. "I still don't remember much after the push. Everything went black."

Lexie frowned at April. "Why did you want to stay with him?"

"Because I thought I'd never meet another person who would want me," she glumly answered. "Matthew was my first serious relationship. I convinced myself that he was the one, and that he would change after the baby was born. I was also scared of what he might do if I did leave him."

"I get it, feeling unworthy. My mother killed herself when I was three months old. For a long time, I wondered if she even wanted to have me. I wanted to know why she did it, but my father would give me a bullshit answer. Meredith refused to tell me because talking about it made her angry at our dad," Lexie explained.

"So you still don't know why?" April inquired.

"I do. When I was in junior high I unintentionally overheard Mer arguing with our dad. He was having an affair while our mom was pregnant with me. She found out sometime after I was born and became really depressed," she answered, then she sighed. "Nothing could rattle Ellis Grey in the OR. I've been told she was a phenomenal surgeon. But my dad's infidelity practically killed her. I doubt she thought about her kids before she slit those wrists."

April quietly gazed down at her lap. It was morbid to think that she and Lexie could easily bond over traumatic experiences, but she felt more connected to her coworker now than all of the previous times they had interacted. She offered her half-eaten doughnut to her. "Swap?"

Lexie slightly smiled, switching doughnuts with April. "Cheers," she half-heartedly replied, tapping their doughnuts before they finished their new halves in silence.

* * *

After picking up Cat from school, Alex decided to buy pizza on the way home. He hadn't eaten lunch after spending time grocery shopping – he was certain some of his food selections would piss off April – and a late lunch with his girlfriend's daughter made up for missing dinner with Jo's family the previous night. Picking up someone else's kid at their school had been nerve wracking initially. He had hoped nobody would assume he was a pervert trying to abduct a young girl. Fortunately, that hadn't happened and Cat found his car immediately.

He allowed her to enter the apartment first while he carried a large box of Hawaiian style pizza. He was surprised that her favorite pizza toppings were pineapple and ham, but he ate just about everything, so he wasn't complaining.

"Have a seat at the dining table. You can set your backpack beside the couch." Alex walked into the kitchen to retrieve plates and placemats. "What do you want to drink? Water, orange juice, milk or beer?"

Cat smirked back at him from her seat. "You'd really let me drink beer?"

"Are you kidding me? Your mom would kill me," he lightheartedly replied. "So, what will it be?"

"I'll have orange juice, please," she politely answered.

Alex poured orange juice into two glasses, then he sat down beside Cat at the dining table. "I don't have an Xbox or any game console here, sorry. There just isn't time for it with my work schedule," he regretfully said. "But you gotta do your homework anyway. I promised your mom that you would finish it before she picks you up."

Cat grabbed a slice of pizza. "I don't have a lot to do, but I have a project coming up," she noted. "And it's kind of awkward for me because it involves lying."

"They're teaching you to lie in school?" he amusingly questioned.

"No, I mean I have to lie my way through it. We're supposed to make a presentation about our heroes and I want to use my mom, but… everyone in my class knows her as my older sister," she explained before taking a bite out of her slice. "I'm used to lying about that, but I wish I could tell them how great of a mom she actually is."

"Well, you still can. Just replace mom with sister," Alex suggested.

"I know, but I'd have to make up a fake story about how our parents died in a car crash, and I don't want to do that," Cat answered with a frown. "I don't know why she had to introduce herself as my older sister at school. Who cares what the other parents think?"

Alex swallowed his food before he said, "People judge each other all the time. I guess she was trying to protect you from being teased by the other kids for having a younger mom. Kids are jerks like that."

"I've been in fights at school because I was teased for not having parents at all. She says she'll stop doing it when I'm in high school, but what if I go to the same school as my friends? Why can't she just come clean now?"

"It's not as easy as you think. Things would get pretty messy if you used your presentation to out your mom. She'll do it when the timing is right," he insisted.

Cat quietly nodded, then caught Alex off-guard with her next question. "Do you have a cool dad?"

"Depends which dad you're referring to. Uh, my biological dad wasn't a good person. My mom and I had to leave him or else he would have hurt us pretty bad," Alex murmured before he slightly smiled. "But my stepdad is cool. He's a doctor too. I wasn't the perfect kid, but he was always patient with me and my bad attitude."

"I don't know anything about my dad except that he's a few years older than my mom. She won't even tell me his name. She probably thinks I'm gonna try to search for him on Facebook or something," Cat bitterly replied.

Alex shrugged. "Maybe she's waiting until you're older. I didn't find out about my stepbrother until I was in high school. His dad- well, _our_ dad left his other family when we were really young. They didn't have contact with each other. I'm only kind of just building a relationship with my stepbrother now. He works with us at the hospital, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you met him. Dr. Avery, he's the dude with the nice eyes."

Cat's eyes lit up. "The hottie? Wow. Why didn't my mom date him?" She laughed when Alex playfully rolled his eyes. "I'm kidding… sort of. But you're cool, Alex. I met a couple of her past boyfriends and I could tell they sucked. One sight of me and they were ready to run out the door."

"For what it's worth, you're cool in my book too," Alex complimented. "And you're smarter than your age. You're not getting yourself into trouble on a daily basis. You listen to your mom and Nana. They raised you well."

"I'm gonna be a surgeon when I'm older too," the 12-year old declared proudly. "Make it a family tradition. I'll open my own practice, and sometimes perform surgeries for free for people who can't afford it."

Alex softly chuckled. He truly admired Cat's determination, but she had a long way to go before reaching her goals. "One step at the time, kid. You need to make it out of 6th grade first."

Cat continued to eat her pizza while she eyed Alex's bruised right hand. "What happened to your hand?" she curiously asked. "Get into a fight?"

"Somewhat, yeah," he guiltily answered. He had hoped she wouldn't notice his hand, but it was difficult to hide considering it was a dark shade of blue and purple. "I was protecting someone. My roommate, actually. You remember April?"

"Uh huh," she said, nodding simultaneously. "Who were you protecting her from?"

"This dude. Not a good guy," Alex vaguely responded. "He hurt her."

"Oh," Cat murmured before finishing her first slice. She paused after reaching for the pizza box, then she looked back at Alex. "If someone hurt my mom, would you do the same thing for her?"

Alex stopped mid-chew, pursing his lips. Of course he would protect Jo if he felt it was necessary. However, getting into more fights would probably turn her off eventually. He especially wouldn't want to behave that way in front of her daughter. "Well, yeah… but you can't use violence as an answer for everything," he acknowledged. "I'd keep your mom safe, though."

* * *

Jackson entered the Emerald City Bar following his shift. Because he hadn't received any messages from April, he decided he was going to give her space until she was ready to talk to him. It was frustrating for him, but he didn't want to push her towards a breaking point. Her ex had already done that in a matter of ten seconds of seeing her.

He planned to sit down for a greasy burger, maybe with a glass of whiskey, before heading home across the street to his apartment for the rest of the night. However, he spotted Matthew sitting at the counter. The other man's face was bruised around his eyes, and a small bandage covered the bridge of his nose. Alex had definitely broken it. Matthew appeared worn out while he slowly sipped tequila from his shot glass.

Jackson clenched his fists inside of his jacket pockets. The sight of him made him furious. He had hoped Matthew would have fled by now after the incident at the hospital. He wanted to confront the guy, but he wasn't sure he could do it without throwing in a few swings at his already injured face. A part of him told himself to turn around and leave. On the other hand, he wanted to stay and watch his every move.

His eyes followed Matthew as he left the counter to use the restroom. After taking a minute to think about it, Jackson decided to follow him inside. He stood by the sink as the other man used one of the urinals.

Matthew briefly turned his head to catch a glimpse of him. He walked towards the sink to wash his hands, while Jackson carefully watched him. "Uh, you need something?"

"Yeah, I believe we have something in common that we need to discuss." Jackson furrowed his brow when Matthew blankly stared back at him. "April Kepner ring a bell?"

Matthew hesitated to answer, then he forced a laugh. "Listen, I didn't come here for April. I wanted to talk to Karev."

"Bullshit." Jackson forcefully pushed Matthew against the side of the bathroom stall. "I know everything. What you did to her, how you killed her child. You're a disgrace, man. How in the world did you think showing up in Seattle would make it all better?"

"I'm telling you the truth! I came here to talk to Karev about April," the taller man retorted. "I know I'm not supposed to be near her because of the restraining order. That's why I wanted to see Alex. I just wanted to know if she was okay."

"She was doing just fine without you. And do you seriously believe Karev would tell you anything?" Jackson scoffed. "I know him well enough that he would tell you to fuck off and leave. Did getting your ass kicked not convince you of that?"

Matthew threw his arms up in frustration. "I'm trying to make things right! What I did to April is unforgivable and it's impossible for me to make up for it, but she needs to know how genuinely sorry I am. I didn't mean to…" He closed his eyes and groaned. "He was my kid too!"

"Well, you should have thought twice about taking out your anger on her," Jackson sternly replied, then he pointed at himself. "And I know we met yesterday, but I left out one little detail. I'm April's boyfriend, and I'm going to take care of her a hell of a lot better than you did. I really want to knock your teeth in right now, but I won't. Consider yourself lucky that I'm not Karev. Otherwise, you would be unconscious."

"I can press charges, you know," he claimed.

"And who are they gonna believe? The person protecting his best friend, or the baby killer?" Jackson harshly responded. "Also, Karev's my brother and I will defend him when it's necessary. Now you better get out of here ASAP. If I see you wandering around here again, you'll be missing some teeth. Leave and don't you dare try to contact April or Alex again."

Matthew cautiously stepped aside before rushing out of the men's restroom. Jackson stayed inside to regain his composure, but when he walked out he no longer had an appetite and decided to go home. He remained upset as he crossed the street to his apartment building, but he stopped before he reached the entrance when he found April waiting for him outside.

"Hey," he murmured, the wrinkles in his forehead decreasing as his face relaxed. "How long have you been here?"

"Umm, Lexie just dropped me off a couple of minutes ago," the redhead stated, slowly approaching him. "I'm sorry for kicking you out last night. My mind was all over the place and I couldn't-"

"It's okay. Don't apologize." Jackson quickly scanned their surroundings, checking the area for Matthew. "How was Portland with Lexie? I suppose getting away from here for the day was the right decision…"

April wrapped her arms over Jackson's shoulders, hugging him tightly. He reciprocated the hug and buried his face into her neck. "I've had a lot of time to think about us, and I don't want what happened with Matthew to be the reason why we can't work out," she tearfully said. "I love you, and I won't push you away again."

Jackson smiled against her neck. He raised his head, so he could directly look back at her. "I love you too."

April grasped her boyfriend's cheeks and tenderly kissed his lips. "Do you mind if I stay here with you tonight?" she asked, her hands sliding down his arms until they found his own hands.

"Do I have to answer that?" he happily replied, leading her into the apartment building.

April softly chuckled and shyly bit down on her bottom lip. "Just making sure."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think, please! Up next: Jolex finally going all the way? ;)**


	16. Breaking the Barrier

**Thanks for the reviews, folks! This chapter is mainly Jolex centric, but I do hint at what's to come for Japril. Also, this chapter reflects how much I wish April and Jo became friends on the show lol. Jo really needs at least one good friend on her side!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Alex walked into a dimly lit on-call room where Jo was taking a nap on the bed. She had paged him earlier about meeting him there, though he had a different idea in mind when she offered the invitation. His girlfriend lay on her side, her hands tucked beneath a pillow as she quietly slept. He had never actually seen her asleep before, and he was relieved to learn that she wasn't a snorer. She was a cute sleeper too.

He removed his lab coat and set it on the desk. Kicking off his shoes, Alex approached the bed and not so quite elegantly climbed in beside Jo, who easily awoke from his jerky movements.

"For a second, I thought we were having an earthquake," she quipped, flipping onto her back as he lay beside her.

"Sorry," he muttered, leaning in to pepper kisses along her neck. "Did you really text me to join you in here for a nap?"

"Yes. I just got out of surgery with Bailey. My eyelids can barely stay open," Jo confirmed. However, her eyes were wide open when Alex slid down towards the hem of her scrub top. He pushed it up, so he could kiss her abdomen. "Really? In here?"

Alex chuckled. "Why not? It's my first day back from suspension. We should celebrate," he said in between kisses. "Avery and Kepner had no problem with it. April's a clean freak, or are you actually a bigger one than she is and I had no idea?"

Jo playfully slapped the back of her boyfriend's head, forcing him to sit up. "No, it's not that." She sat upright and smiled. "Do you honestly want to have sex for the first time in an on-call room? Why not make a date out of it first? Besides, I smell like surgery. That's not sexy."

Although they had been dating for a couple of months, sex hadn't been one of the many activities they did together. Alex remained patient for Jo even though deep down, he was dying inside. His sexual urges made him feel guilty, though. She was waiting for the perfect moment, while he was prepped and ready to go. And he understood that her dry spell ran much longer than his.

He sensed it was nerves. He was positive having a baby at a young age had scared her from having sex again. She had told him there were other times during her undergraduate years in college, but sex hadn't been at the top of her priorities.

"Okay, so you want to have a date night this Friday?" Alex asked, sounding hopeful. "April's been staying at Avery's since the whole Matthew thing, so we would have the apartment to ourselves. Uh, we might have to go for takeout if you just want to have dinner there. Forgot to go grocery shopping this week. Unless, you don't mind Crispy Puffs, or I can convince April to go grocery shopping for me."

"Well, in case you forgot, I do know how to cook," Jo reminded him with a smirk. "Only about five things, but that's better than whatever you plan on burning. And I can even make you banana cream pie, your favorite."

"You never made me banana cream pie before," he amusingly replied.

"But you told me once that it was your favorite, so I want to make it for you – after I learn how to," she sheepishly answered. Jo lightly grasped Alex's shoulders. "And after we have a successful dinner that won't lead to food poisoning, we can finally have sex."

Alex smiled as Jo kissed his lips. "Would it be too much to ask to spend the night?"

She slightly pulled away with a grimace. "Yeah, that part is a little complicated. I mean, I could… but I'm not sure if my grandmother and Cat would be okay with that. Nana might be, but Cat is a different story. I don't want her to feel like she's no longer first, you know? It would be fine if I came home late, but it might be awkward if she wakes up in the morning and I'm still not home, and I'm not including night shifts-"

"Alright, I get it. Spending the night is out of the question," he half-heartedly said. "Whatever, it's fine."

Jo heard the disappointment in his tone. She gently pressed her hands against Alex's cheeks. "Listen, I'm not saying it's never going to happen. Cat has a lot of sleepovers with her friends. On one of those nights, I can definitely spend the night at your apartment," she insisted. "I promise we'll make it work."

Alex softly laughed. "Hey, if I can wait this long, I can wait a bit longer for you to spend the night."

"I can't believe a little over two months is like a record for you," she scoffed. "It's almost painful for me to mention the last time I had sex. But for the record, I've maintained my cleanliness down there."

"Duly noted," he replied, giving her a quick peck on the lips. Suddenly, a random but important thought popped up in his head. "By the way, are you planning on taking any birth control?"

Jo quietly opened her mouth and closed it, her eyes wandering away from Alex's. The last time she had given serious thought about birth control was _after_ she found out she was pregnant. At least the other times in college, she made sure the men wore condoms. Still, she had thought it was risky not to be using anything after having Cat. "Umm, well… do you want me to? I mean, should I?"

"I'm not gonna tell you what to do with your body. I'll have condoms ready," he assured her.

"Better to be safe than sorry. You know, I'll stop by the pharmacy later. Get myself some birth control pills, so I don't make the same mistake I made in high school." She covered her mouth as her eyes grew wide. "Oh, God! I don't consider Cat to be a mistake. That's not what I meant. Just having sex without a condom was a stupid idea."

"Relax. I know you don't feel that way about her," Alex chuckled. "Just do what you want to do, okay?"

Jo grinned. "Has Jackson been giving you lessons on how to be an understanding boyfriend?" she quipped, drawing an eye roll from Alex. "What? I can't help but find this kind of amusing. When we first met you were a punk – and gross. See? I told you. Care Bear!"

Alex quickly shook his head. "Nope. We're still not calling me that. Call me that again and-"

"And what?" She smirked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You'll do what?"

He pursed his lips, then he mischievously grinned back at her. "You asked for it."

Jo screeched loudly when Alex began tickling her sides. She was very ticklish and she instantly regretted baiting him into doing it. "Stop! Stop it right now!" she playfully scolded him. "I'm making you banana cream pie!"

"Fine, fine. I'll be a good boy," he surrendered, hiding his hands behind his back. She caught him off-guard when she pounced on top of him and hungrily kissed his lips. He fell back onto the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist as he eagerly kissed her back. Although he knew they weren't going all the way quite yet, a makeout session was an acceptable substitute. "You know, it's kind of fun being a good boy."

* * *

Joining his two male friends at a cafeteria table, Alex couldn't wipe the smug grin off of his face after sitting down beside Jackson and George. Friday wasn't coming for another two days, but he was too excited about taking the next step in his relationship with Jo. He celebrated the only way he could, and that was with food. Because it was Spaghetti Wednesday, he took advantage and brought with him three bowls, along with two orders of French fries and a turkey club.

Both Jackson and George watched their coworker practically inhale his first bowl of spaghetti before exchanging confused glances at each other. "Someone has an appetite today," the pretty boy murmured, reaching for a few of Alex's fries. He was surprised that he didn't receive a hand slap afterwards. "Now, this is weird. Karev is normally territorial about his lunch."

George nodded in agreement. "And he's smiling. It's a bit frightening. Did Robbins give him a solo today?"

"Nope. Dudes, I am having sex with Jo this Friday," Alex proudly announced, grinning widely.

"Finally joining the club," Jackson nonchalantly answered.

Alex furrowed his brow as George nodded once again. "Wait. You and that nurse are having sex too?" He raised his hand and shook his head. "Actually, don't answer that. I don't want to visualize you naked. I've already had to see Avery in his birthday suit."

"As a matter of fact, yes. I have slept with Olivia, and let me tell you, it's been amazing," George gloated, then he raised his eyebrow at Alex. "Also, is Jo okay with you just sharing this with everybody? You must really underestimate her physical strength."

"Whatever, I only told you two," he dismissively replied before stuffing his mouth with fries. "Don't forget, Avery. You owe me a lot of crap for all those times I had to listen to you and April going at it in her bedroom, so you don't get to lecture."

Jackson smiled as he ate a piece of cantaloupe. "I wasn't going to say anything." He reached for more fries. "But good for you, bro. Maybe this will mean you'll scowl less around the hospital. Get rid of that uptightness."

"Screw you, dude. Let me gloat some. I haven't been in a relationship like this in forever."

Although Alex had been with a lot of women in the past, the majority of them had been one or two night stands. Only a small number had given him interest in having a relationship. However, his frat boy attitude in medical school and early into his residency made it difficult to keep a girlfriend. And with Jo he was very happy, probably happier than he ever realized. As confident as he acted in front of his friends, he was actually nervous on the inside.

Jo and April arrived in the cafeteria a bit later and stood in line for lunch. The brunette glanced over at the men's table where they appeared to be having a relaxed conversation. "So… you don't have any plans to be at your apartment on Friday night, do you?"

"Jackson and I haven't made any plans yet. Why?" April asked curiously.

"Because Alex and I planned a date there and… it's _the_ night," she implied, her cheeks beginning to change to a rosy shade of red. "I think I'm ready."

April's face lit up and she grinned. "Oh! That's great!" she excitedly replied. "Don't worry about it. I'll make sure Jackson and I are nowhere near the apartment on Friday. Besides, his comforter is warmer than mine. It's nice sleeping in his bedroom."

"Are you ever going to sleep in your own bedroom?" Jo teasingly questioned. "Might as well move in with him."

"No, we're not at that level," the redhead chuckled. "Last time I moved in with a boyfriend…"

Jo slightly grimaced as April's cheerful expression changed into a dejected one. "I'm sorry, April. I didn't mean to bring up anything about your- well, the past," she apologized.

"It's okay. Not your fault," April insisted, reaching for a boxed sandwich. "I'm just not trying to rush into things like I did before. Some of it was a result of an accidental pregnancy, but I don't want to go through that again. I told Jackson I love him, and I do, but I thought it might be too soon to say it. He did say it back, so I think I made the right decision."

"Don't second guess yourself. He's been crazy about you since the moment he met you, and the fact that you two became friends and eventually a couple means it wasn't silly puppy love on his part," Jo assured her. "You can't predict when you'll fall in love with somebody."

"What about you?" her friend inquired. "Does Alex give you that type of feeling?"

Jo froze just as she was reaching for a small bowl of mixed fruit. She liked Alex a lot, but was it love? It was one of those feelings she hadn't experienced much in the past. She and April were more alike with their dating history than her friend believed. "Well, he's been really great – with Cat especially. He might be the first guy I fully trust to be alone with her," she explained with a smile. "And we've come a long way since your first day working here. It's like he's a different person, but in a good way."

"Like your first date, don't be nervous. Just don't drop another secret kid on him after sex," April quipped, drawing a playful elbow nudge from Jo.

"Believe me, I learned my lesson after one baby."

While the two women waited in line to pay for their lunches, April decided to bring up an important subject with Jo. "So this morning, I got a phone call from my dad. He wants to visit next month, but I haven't told Jackson yet. I guess when I first told my mom about having a boyfriend she told my dad, and he wants to meet him," she stated, biting down on her bottom lip. "He's been kind of overprotective since Matthew."

"It's clear he just wants to make sure you're okay, and Jackson will erase his worries easily," Jo confidently answered. "He's the smooth talker type. I bet he wins over your dad in less than five minutes."

April slowly shrugged. "I'm not so sure of that. Jackson's lack of a father basically makes this a sensitive subject for him. What if he doesn't want to meet my dad? I mean, it wouldn't be the biggest deal, but if my dad can see how happy I am here, maybe he'll stop worrying about me."

"Instead of freaking out about whether or not Jackson will want to meet him, just talk to him about it," her coworker advised. "Who knows? Maybe you'll be wrong and he'll be cool with meeting your dad."

They finished paying for their lunches and joined the men at their table, sitting beside their boyfriends. Alex immediately kissed Jo's cheek and smiled. "I can't wait for your banana cream pie."

George scoffed. "I hope you're being literal and not using some sex code."

Alex rolled his eyes as Jackson and April laughed. "I'm talking about food, you numbskull."

April took a bite out of her sandwich before finding a little courage to bring up her father. "Umm, Alex. Guess who's coming to visit next month?" she timidly asked after swallowing her food. Her roommate simply shrugged as he ate his lunch. "My dad."

"Big Joe's coming to town? Sweet!" he enthusiastically responded. "Hey, can you ask your mom to make some of that homemade taffy she brought us that one time? Those were freaking good."

"He's not coming to deliver you goodies from Moline," she playfully retorted. "He's checking up on me."

Jackson stared at April with a concerned expression on his face. "Why? Did you, uh, tell your parents about Matthew showing up in Seattle?" he reluctantly questioned.

"No, I haven't told them about that," his girlfriend murmured. "He just wants to visit… and also to meet you."

Alex grimaced, then he smirked. "Oh, that's gonna be fun. Joe is such a fun dude. He's huge. About five inches taller than you. Big body. He was on the track and field team at Ohio State. The hammer throw and shot put were his specialties back in the day," he informed Jackson, who blankly stared at him. "And I should warn you that he's a hugger."

"And let me guess, he owns shotguns on the farm?" Jackson sarcastically answered. The sheepish grin on April's face confirmed his question, which wasn't meant to be serious. "Oh, shit. Does he?"

"He's obviously not bringing one with him on the plane, silly," April teased, comfortably grabbing a hold of Jackson's hand. "Ignore Alex. He's not as intimidating as he's making him to be. If it's not too much to ask-"

"Of course, I'll meet him," he graciously replied, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "As long as I come out of it alive, it's fine with me."

* * *

The big day arrived two days later. For Jo, she was internally begging her body to stop feeling so nervous as she stood outside of Alex and April's apartment. It wasn't her wedding day nor would there be a surprise proposal after dinner – at least she hoped not. She definitely wasn't ready for that type of commitment. And she was positive her boyfriend wasn't either.

She had been standing in the hallway for at least ten minutes. In her head, she was telling herself that there was no reason to be nervous. It was just a date that happens to include sex, but every time that three letter word popped up, she would freeze before she could knock on the front door.

 _Lighten up, Wilson. It's just sex!_

However, trying to be her own coach only made her more apprehensive about the whole scenario. She was more nervous now about having sex than when she was a naïve 15-year old freshman. It mainly had to do with the fact that it had been years since she last had sex, and she desperately didn't want to embarrass herself. She knew how experienced Alex was, not that she fully accepted his previous history of sleeping around.

And various negative outcomes rotated through her head like a never ending carousel. What if the condom breaks, or the birth control is ineffective? What if she was the anti-contraceptive in which her body rejected and destroyed all of them?

Jo knew she was being ridiculous and highly paranoid, and she wished April was around to help her snap out of it. She would even accept a hard slap across her cheek from her friend if it meant the nerves would disappear.

She carried the banana cream pie she had made the night before in her hands, which happened to be the push she needed to knock on the door. She didn't want their dessert to go bad and knocking meant she could store it in the refrigerator.

After a few deep breaths, Jo reached out and knocked. It didn't take long for Alex to open the door. She put on a bright smile when she noticed how excited he appeared to be. "Hey, come in," he greeted her, kissing her on the lips when she entered the apartment.

"What are you making?" Jo inhaled the scent of fresh cooking from the kitchen. They had made an agreement that Alex would make dinner, while she took care of the dessert. He didn't want her doing all of the work, so he volunteered to cook – after he managed to coax April into doing the grocery shopping for him. "And it's not burning."

"If there's one thing I can cook without screwing it up, it's steak," Alex proclaimed as he led Jo into the kitchen. The stove was on as a large piece of steak cooked in a pan. "I'm used to grilling these bad boys, but this will do. How do you want yours cooked?"

"Medium well, please," Jo answered, setting the banana cream pie in the refrigerator. "I haven't sampled the pie yet, but I have a really good feeling about this one. Nana said it looked fine, so I trust her word. I had to make sure Cat didn't sneak in a taste. I promised I'd bring her home a slice if you don't eat it all tonight."

Alex smirked as he checked on the steak. "For what it's worth, I've never eaten an entire pie in one sitting. Takes me at least two days." He picked up a small packet with his free hand. "This is our side. April told me it was easy, so I decided to go for it."

Jo looked at the instant mashed potatoes packet and smiled. "And it's bacon flavored. Sounds promising," she quipped. She opened the refrigerator again to retrieve a bottle of beer. "Do you want help with anything?"

"No, you already did your part. Just relax or whatever," he insisted.

Of course she could relax _now_ , but come later when it's time to get naked she knew she would be a nervous wreck. She didn't want him to see her that way, though. Once again, she internally told herself to stop with the pessimistic thoughts and think about a different subject.

"How is Cat's project coming along?" Alex inquired. "Heard she's gotta do something about her hero."

"Oh, she just finished that the other night. It's really sweet of her to use Nana for her project," Jo gushed.

Alex immediately paused and eyed his girlfriend suspiciously. He wondered why Cat decided to change her mind about Jo. He had an idea, it was easier to talk about Jeanette with less lying involved, but Jo would likely feel hurt if she found out the truth. "Cool," he murmured before returning his attention back to the stove.

"Who was your hero growing up?" she asked, leaning against the counter. "Mine was Meryl Streep because I thought she could become anybody on the big screen, and I admired her ability to play different roles. It's random, I know."

Alex softly laughed. "Has she ever played a surgeon? If not, then you've done something she hasn't," he noted. "I didn't really do the hero thing as a kid. I mean, I was a huge fan of WWE and those wrestlers, but I knew the crap they did wasn't real. I guess if I did have one it was Dalton. He did a lot of stuff that made me proud to have him for a father."

Jo sipped her beer before asking, "Do you think he and Jackson will ever meet? Would you want that for them?"

He slowly shrugged. "I don't know. It's not up to me. Things would feel less hostile if they did and Avery doesn't kill him. Meeting would require a phone call and I doubt that will be happening anytime soon."

After preparing dinner, Alex and Jo settled at the dining table to continue their date. It was a laid back dinner as they discussed work, random movies, anything that made it feel like a date between the two of them. Alex helped himself to three slices of banana cream pie, which was enough proof that it was edible and delicious. Jo eventually felt guilty for attempting to delay the next phase of their date by volunteering to wash all of the dishes. He insisted that he could deal with the dishes later, but she remained persistent to have it her way.

However, the moment she finished washing the last dish in the sink, Alex's arms snaked around her waist and his lips were covering every inch of her neck. "Let's go to bed," he whispered, pulling her away from the sink.

Jo hadn't been able to dry her hands, so she forced herself to wipe them against her jeans. She snickered as he pushed her towards the direction of his bedroom, though he was too occupied by her neck to see where they were going. "How about we try to avoid any unnecessary injuries?" she jokingly said, forcefully maneuvering them away from one of the corners of the dining table before she could run into it.

His hands were already pushing up her top, but she rested her own hands on top of his as they made it into the hallway without bumping into any furniture. They stopped just inside of Alex's bedroom. Jo observed it for the first time. Although she had visited the apartment multiple times, she never had a reason to see his bedroom. There were numerous wrestling trophies along the top shelf of his desk. As she expected, the messy side of him left dirty clothes on the floor. One glaring detail of his bedroom was also the most important.

"That's your bed?" she guffawed, pointing at the small bed. Had to be a twin XL size. Definitely not close to being at least a full size.

"Uh, yeah. With all the other crap I keep in here, a bigger bed would've made it a cramped space," Alex awkwardly replied, scratching the back of his head. "April took the larger room. She has a full. We can do it in there if you want."

Jo playfully jabbed Alex's stomach with her elbow. "No," she laughed. "It's fine."

"If you're good, then…" He surprised his girlfriend by picking her up from the floor and carrying her towards the bed. After setting her on the mattress, he rushed to shut his door and whipped his shirt over his head.

"You're eager," she amusingly stated. Jo raised her arms over her head when Alex pushed up her top. This time, he was successful in removing the article of clothing. "You're very eager."

Alex only let out a grunt since his face was already buried in Jo's cleavage. She realized talking through the whole thing wasn't going to be an option, so she decided to stop and simply go with the flow. She just needed to trust him – and herself – that it was going to be a good experience for the both of them. He was eager, but it wasn't as if he had been attacking her like a rabid wolf finding a carcass to feast on.

"Oww!" Jo yelped, wincing after Alex's elbow pressed down on her hair. Their coordination was off, but they were trying to make it work.

"Sorry," he muttered, offering a half-smile. Alex leaned forward to kiss her lips. "Relax. It'll be good."

Jo quietly nodded, then she pulled his head back down for a deeper kiss. Alex made it his personal mission to ensure he explored her entire body. His lips traveled from her neck, down to her abdomen and even lower, which made her squirm a bit. It had been a long time since she let a man go _there._

Alex was enjoying himself based on the sounds coming out of his mouth. The smaller bed forced them to cuddle very closely when they finished. They both lay on their sides, Alex with his arms wrapped around Jo's waist while he left gentle kisses along her shoulder.

"That was pretty damn good," he softly chuckled, burying his face against her neck. "A long time coming."

"Yup," she murmured. Her eyes scanned for a clock to check the time. She spotted one on the desk. It was barely ten o'clock. "I should go."

"What?" Alex scrunched his nose when Jo freed herself from his grip to redress. He glanced at the clock, then he returned her gaze towards her. "It's still fairly early. Stay for fifteen more minutes."

Jo nervously laughed as she zipped up her jeans. "I know, but I just have this hunch about Cat and I should probably go home. Mother's intuition. That type of thing," she explained breathlessly. After redressing herself, she gave Alex a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you for tonight. It really was amazing. Call you tomorrow?"

"Umm, sure," he mumbled, sitting up on his bed.

"Alright. Don't worry about getting out of bed. I'll let myself out," she assured him on her way out of the bedroom. "Goodnight, Alex!"

Alex remained confused even after he heard the front door shut. He fell back onto the mattress, the back of his head hitting the pillow, and he stared at the ceiling. It was almost an exact copy of the end of their first date, in which she ended it abruptly. "Dude, what the hell?"

* * *

The following morning, Jo asked April to meet with her for coffee. They sat across from each other at a table in the farthest corner of Starbucks, which was the closest to having any privacy. The redhead sensed some panic in her friend's tone when she called initially, but she hoped it wasn't anything too serious.

"So what's wrong? Are you okay?" April asked with concern.

Jo sipped her coffee, then she quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… I'm kind of an idiot," she bluntly answered. "I'm afraid to face Alex now because I pretty much made myself look like a total fool right after we had sex."

"What did you do?"

"Well, there was something I also did during it. I… I can't say I'm proud of what I did, but I didn't want him to assume that I thought he was awful in bed," Jo reluctantly said, staring down at her coffee cup. "I may have… _faked_ some reactions."

April raised both eyebrows. "Oh," she squeaked. She forced herself to laugh. "I don't think any woman has ever had to do that with Alex. I mean, I wouldn't know personally, but it always seemed to me that he left them very satisfied. It was usually based on his mood at work the following day."

"I wasn't faking because he was terrible. To be honest, he did some things that were incredible," she sheepishly admitted. "The problem was _me_. My stupid mind kept distracting me. Every time I came close to completely enjoying the sex my brain would yell at me, 'Don't get pregnant! Don't get pregnant!' and I'd be out of it."

"But you told me you started taking birth control. Alex bought a freaking jumbo box of condoms for last night!" she lightheartedly replied. "Are you worried that he'll run if he gets you pregnant?"

"Maybe, sort of." Jo rolled her eyes afterwards. "Okay, fine. Yes, I am. It was a miserable pregnancy the first time, and I don't want history to repeat itself. I know I shouldn't assume this about Alex, but people can change in a snap. Trust me. I've witnessed it."

April shook her head. "You should trust Alex a bit more. He's not perfect, but he can take responsibility for his actions. You saw something in him that only a few of us ever see on a daily basis and that's why you wanted to date him," she reminded her friend. "'Cause I doubt you wanted to date him for his table manners."

"His table manners have actually improved since we started dating," the brunette noted with a smile. "And before you say it, I know I should talk to him. Although, I won't mention the faking because that would just demoralize him. Promise me that you won't tell him either."

"No sweat. We can keep that between us. Girl code or whatever. That's like a thing, except I'm not sure how it works," April confessed. "I never had any close girlfriends at Mayo, so this is somewhat new for me."

Jo smiled back at April. "Those people at Mayo must have had terrible taste in friends because you've been one of the best friends I've ever had, and you don't judge me for being a total loser about sex," she complimented. "And you make really delicious desserts. That banana cream pie recipe you gave me worked like a charm."

"I knew I was good for something," April sarcastically responded. She laughed when Jo tossed a balled up napkin at her, hitting her chest. "But thanks, Jo. I'm glad I have a friend like you too."

* * *

Alex had decided to work a shift at the hospital after the end to his and Jo's date left him bothered and bewildered. He thought their first time had been phenomenal. He had done things that he normally believed drove women wild. Her reactions seemed to justify his belief, but when she opted to leave quite suddenly he began to doubt himself. Perhaps he was off his game after being out of action for months, he suspected.

He feared that he had left a bad impression on her. Their relationship might be doomed because the sex was worse than he thought. He had pissed himself off just thinking that. She had called him twice in the morning, but he decided to let both calls go to voicemail. There was one text message asking where he was. He opted to be truthful and tell her he was working.

She eventually found him in one of the stairwells as they came from opposite directions. "Alex, there you are," his girlfriend greeted him, sounding relieved. Dressed in street clothes, she appeared happy to see him. "Robbins told me you went down to the ER, so I was on my way there to find you."

"Why? Did you forget a sock in my room or something?" Alex scoffed, then he tried to walk past Jo.

"Just wait. I need to explain myself for how I left things last night," she pleaded, pressing her hand against his chest. "You were great. I'm not lying about that. The problem was I had some other things on my mind while it happened."

"Like what? Were you thinking about another dude?" he accusingly asked.

"No! It's not about another person, I swear. I was worried and paranoid about… getting pregnant again."

Alex softly laughed. "Seriously? You thought about accidentally getting knocked up during sex?"

Jo grimaced. "Yes, and I'm sorry. But it's been something that's haunted me since high school. The guy who knocked me up ignored me and pretended I never existed to him. One of the reasons why I hardly had sex after having Cat is because I constantly worry that it'll happen again," she explained. "That the next man who unintentionally gets me pregnant won't want to have anything to do with it."

"And you think I'd do that? C'mon, that's crap," he dismissively said. "I'm nowhere near ready for fatherhood, but if something were to happen, I won't run. I won't act like we've never met or whatever. It would be my freaking kid. I'd take care of it and _you_."

Jo wrapped her arms over Alex's shoulders and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry for ruining our night with my stupid paranoia. I do trust you, and I shouldn't doubt myself when it comes to you," she insisted.

Alex slightly pulled away, cupping her cheeks and tenderly kissing her lips. "You're worth it to me, okay?"

She quickly nodded before grabbing a hold of his hand. "Are you busy right now?"

"Not unless someone pages me." He slightly furrowed his brow when she led him into a hallway. "Where are we going?"

"On-call room. I apologized, you basically forgave me, and now I must make it up to you to complete my apology," Jo declared, finding an empty on-call room shortly after.

"I thought you didn't want to do it in an on-call room."

Jo shook her head as she removed her shirt. "Nope. I only didn't want our first time in one because that would have been tacky, and I smelled like surgery," she corrected him. She pushed him towards the bed where he fell back onto the mattress. "Now, are you gonna stop me from making up for last night, or will you be taking off your pants?"

Alex grinned widely while he watched Jo push down her jeans. He laughed as he untied his scrub pants. "You are so freaking hot."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think, please! Up next: April's dad comes to vist :)**


	17. The Big Man

**Thank you for the reviews! Glad there are other people out there who wished Jopril was real lol**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Jackson and Alex followed their girlfriends out of a movie theater after spending two hours fulfilling their request of sitting through another Nicholas Sparks installment as part of their double date. For the men, that was two hours they secretly wished they could have back. Their other halves seemed to have enjoyed the movie based on the discussion April and Jo were having, but unfortunately, they felt the opposite.

"What are they so giddy about?" Alex nosily said as he listened to the two women enthusiastically talk about the movie a couple of feet ahead of them. He stuffed his hands inside of the pockets of his jeans and shook his head. "The dude freaking died after he professed his love for the woman. I mean, what kind of crap gets you excited about _that_?"

"You actually watched it?" Jackson scoffed with a smirk. "I fell asleep. Sounds like I missed nothing significant."

"Lucky bastard. Every time I started dozing off, Jo would smack me. April is so into this junk that she turned Jo into a fan too," the other man complained. His roommate was a major sucker for tearjerker films, especially the ones adapted from Nicholas Sparks novels. In his mind, they were all the same tragic love story and only elicited one reaction out of him – boredom. "Even the trailers were more interesting."

Jackson quickly shrugged and smiled. "If it makes April happy, then I'm happy." But the movie he had zero interest in gave him the opportunity to sneak in a nap. His latest shift at the hospital had worn him out anyway. "Besides, I don't think she noticed I was asleep."

Alex slightly furrowed his brow. As ridiculous as it sounded, he was actually jealous that Jackson slept through the entire movie. "Next double date, I'm calling the shots," he declared. "No sappy drama. April was almost sobbing. It was embarrassing."

"Give her a break. She wears her heart on her sleeve. I like that about her," the pretty boy insisted.

"Yeah, whatever," Alex chuckled, rolling his eyes. He watched Jo and April walk ahead of them, their elbows linked as they matched each other's pace. "It's almost as if they were on a date together. Hmm, it's kind of hot."

Jackson eyed him suspiciously. "Don't tell me you're having some lesbian fantasy about them now. If you are, stop it," he scolded his stepbrother. He assumed Alex would be the type to daydream about threesomes with specific women, even if they were taken. "Jo would probably kill you, you know."

"April basically said that whenever I used to imagine her naked," he nonchalantly replied. "Or she slaps the back of my head. No big deal. She's never serious about it. Just thought I was a pig for doing that."

"Well, you have a girlfriend now, so fantasize about her," Jackson advised, almost sounding defensive. The idea of any other man seeing April the way he saw her actually bothered him. He didn't want Alex doing it either, even if he was simply joking about it. "You don't hear me talking about imagining Jo naked."

"Not that it matters, but she doesn't even find you hot," Alex pointed out with a laugh. "She said you're too pretty for her taste."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "I've heard that before. Fine with me." It hardly upset him that Jo had never found him attractive. He didn't come into residency hoping every woman in the hospital would line up for him. The fact that his friend never felt that way about him made him feel better because a lot of women he had come across in the past only wanted to talk to him due to his appearance. "One less set of eyes on me."

"You ever try to flirt with her before you knew that?"

"No. She made it perfectly clear that any attempt would result in her laughing in my face, so I knew not to go there."

"But you thought she was hot," Alex insinuated.

"Who cares? I have a girlfriend, who also happens to be _your_ best friend and roommate," Jackson dismissively answered. He smiled as he stared at April from behind. She was in the middle of explaining to Jo her favorite scene from the movie. "How did I get so lucky with her? She's sweet, she's funny, she doesn't care that I fell asleep during that lame movie…"

"Only 'cause she didn't notice," Alex muttered. "Trust me. She'll notice next time. You're not off the hook."

Jackson ignored his comments and continued to ramble. "But she gets me, you know? Lexie and I, we had a connection, but April just understands me easily. And if she doesn't, she tries to. We talk about stuff. I used to keep most things bottled up inside because I never really had anybody to talk to about my feelings. Sometimes Lexie wanted to talk, but it felt more out of obligation. I don't feel that way with April. She genuinely wants to know what's wrong."

Alex softly sighed as he tried his hardest not to roll his eyes all the way towards the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah." He was already hearing the dramatic piano score playing in his imagination. "You sound like phase one of a freaking Nicholas Sparks story. Knock it off, dude. You're becoming too damn sappy. The more you talk about April this way, the higher the chance she ends up with some incurable disease or gets run over by a bus while crossing the street in slow motion or whatever."

"From the sounds of it, you seem to know more about this genre than you're letting on," the other man teased.

"I _live_ with the genre, in case you haven't noticed," he quipped.

Both men's attention switched to April when she softly squealed and pointed at the frozen yogurt shop beside them. "Froyo, guys!" she chirped before walking inside with Jo.

Alex mockingly shook his fists in front of his chest and imitated April's high-pitched voice. "Oh, froyo!" he playfully said, then he furrowed his brow. "Only she would want frozen yogurt during winter."

Jackson laughed, lightly slapping Alex's chest as they followed their girlfriends inside. Jo was seated at an open table after she opted out of frozen yogurt. This gave her boyfriend the opportunity to join her.

"Finally, some time away from Avery," he grumbled, sitting down beside Jo. "He was gushing so hard over April that I thought I was gonna blow chunks all over his shoes."

Jo smirked as she jokingly shoved his shoulder. "Don't be so mean. You've never raved to anybody about me?"

"Not in the way he does," Alex acknowledged. "Maybe it's because Valentine's Day is coming up, and he's slowly unleashing his cheesiness. I swear, it's like his eyelashes were fluttering earlier. Every sentence coming out of his mouth made him sound like a walking Hallmark card."

"See, if you were single, I would accuse you of being jealous of his happiness. And speaking of Valentine's Day, any plans in mind?" she inquisitively asked.

Alex pursed his lips as his eyes wandered away from her. "Uh, do you want to do something?"

Jo let out a laugh. "The fact that you have to ask me means you weren't going to plan anything." She grabbed a hold of his hand. "Seriously, _nothing_?"

When he returned his glance back to her, she was smiling widely back at him. He also noticed her grip on his hand was tightening by the second. "I'll… think of something," he insisted, sporting a forced grin. "You can let go now."

She released his hand, then she watched Jackson and April from her seat. Her friend's arm was wrapped around the redhead's waist while she served herself frozen yogurt in a cup. "They're adorable. I can't wait for her dad to arrive. I would love to see Jackson shake in his boots a bit."

"I kind of wish I could be a fly on the wall when those three have dinner. Knowing Joe, he'll interrogate Avery the entire night just to mess with him," Alex said in amusement. "But he might not even be half-joking about it this time. Matthew made Joe even more protective of her."

"I don't blame him," Jo replied. "I'm sure Jackson will be fine, though. By the end of the night, April's dad will give him permission to call him by his first name."

"Or he'll join Seattle's missing persons list if it's disastrous," Alex quipped.

* * *

Alex parked his car across the street from Jo's apartment complex. While Jackson and April waited in the backseat, Alex escorted Jo to her apartment to conclude their double date. They stopped on the porch and stood in front of the door.

"Well, I'm positive Avery and Kepner are soiling my backseat right now," he bitterly said, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets. "Remind me to steam clean the cushions this weekend."

Jo sifted through her purse for her keys. "Is there anything about them that you don't complain about?" she irritably asked. "You're annoyed when they're being adorable, when they're making out, when they're not even talking. Let them be happy!"

"What? I let them be happy," he argued. "Their sappy crap just grosses me out a bit. You know that."

"Yes, I'm aware that you're not the type who will prance through a field of daffodils with me. Actually, neither am I, but you get my point. Just let it go. They're happy, and we're happy. We should be focusing on the fact that we're all in happy relationships." Jo tugged on the lapels of Alex's jacket and kissed his lips. "You're cuter when you're not uptight."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I am not up-"

Jo kissed her boyfriend one more time to prevent him from arguing with her. "Cuter when you're not uptight," she repeated before unlocking the front door. "See you tomorrow."

As she opened the door, Cat appeared in the doorway wearing her pajamas. "Alex!" she enthusiastically greeted him. "That boy I told you about, he said he'd be my date at my school's Valentine's Day dance! Well, we're just meeting up there, but he's still my date!"

"Nice job," Alex congratulated Cat with a light fist bump. "Told you he'd go with you if you asked him."

Jo waved her arms and appeared confused. "Hold on, wait a second. You have a _date_? I know nothing about this aside from the fact that you planned on going to this school dance." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Which boy is it?"

Cat avoided eye contact with her mother. "Steven."

"Steven, Steven…" she murmured to herself. "His mother is a dentist, yeah?"

"Yes."

"Okay, fine. That's cool with me," Jo answered calmly. However, she was quite baffled that Cat had sought advice from Alex about a boy instead of her. There had been a few other occasions in which Alex had picked up her daughter from school, but she hardly knew what they discussed when she wasn't around. "Anyway, you should be in bed. It's past ten on a school night. Your homework is finished?"

Cat nodded. "All done. I just heard you and Alex outside, so I wanted to tell him the good news myself." She waved as she left the couple alone. "Goodnight!"

Jo softly sighed. "She went to you for dating advice? I don't even want her to date yet!"

"It was just for a school dance," Alex chuckled. "That's not dating. Whatever. She asked me out of the blue, so I gave her an answer. I thought she would've told you or something."

"She didn't. Anyway, goodnight, Alex," Jo muttered before entering her apartment.

Alex furrowed his brow when his girlfriend rushed inside and closed the door. He shrugged off her attitude on his way back to his car. He was relieved to find Jackson and April behaving themselves – by his terms, they weren't all over each other in the backseat. Instead, they were having a silly thumb war. His roommate's shrill squeaks could be heard from outside of the car.

"Thank God," he groaned to himself after climbing into the driver's seat. "No sucking face back there."

"We're saving that for the bedroom," Jackson cheekily replied, eliciting a scowl from Alex. "Yeah, I'm staying at your place tonight."

"Wonderful," Alex sarcastically responded as he began driving to his and April's apartment. He briefly took a glimpse of the couple through the rearview mirror. "I hope you can keep your paws off each other for at least an hour when Big Joe comes to town. The sight of any dude groping his daughter will light a fire under him."

April reached forward to smack her roommate's shoulder. "Stop trying to scare him. My dad's a sweet man," she retorted. "And obviously, we won't be acting like that in front of my dad. We have manners that you have yet to develop."

"So you two are seriously celebrating Valentine's Day with your dad?"

"He's arriving that day, and he wanted to have dinner with Jackson and I. I couldn't exactly tell him no," she defensively replied.

"Sure, you could. You could've told him, 'Hey, pops. Do you mind if we have dinner together the next day? 'Cause I want to ride my boyfriend all the way to the Grand Canyon for Valentine's Day'," Alex bluntly suggested.

April pursed her lips, shaking her head. "Must you always be so crass?"

Alex nodded. "Actually, yeah. That's part of my charm," he quipped.

Jackson wrapped his arm over April's shoulder, pulling her against his side. "Hey, it's fine with me. Meeting her father is important to her, so I have no problem with it happening on Valentine's Day," he insisted. "Is he a big steak guy? Because I know a really good place we can take him. Easy points, right?"

"If you want to give him a heart attack," Alex muttered.

"My dad stopped eating red meat several years ago after he was treated for arterial thrombosis," April answered with a grimace, then she forced herself to laugh. "Big Joe isn't the athletic buff he used to be in college. But he loves pasta. Anything Italian will do just fine."

"Anything else I should know, so I don't accidentally make a fool of myself in front of your father?" Jackson sheepishly asked. He hadn't even met Joe Kepner yet, but he felt as if he already had one strike against him.

April gently pressed her nose against his cheek and smiled. "Be yourself and don't try to impress him with things you wouldn't talk to me about. Oh, and don't brag about the New England Patriots. He's a diehard Cleveland Browns fan," she advised.

"The Browns? You gotta have a strong heart to be a Browns fan," he lightheartedly said.

"Well, it wasn't just the red meat that almost killed him," Alex noted with a smirk. "Don't add yourself to that lethal list."

* * *

"We're not late," Jackson assured April as he followed her out of the airport's parking garage. They had hit unexpected traffic on their way to picking up her father, who had flown in from Cleveland. His flight had landed about twenty minutes before they arrived, so she hoped he wasn't standing around waiting for them. He found himself feeling a bit winded after trying to keep up with his girlfriend's fast strides. "He's still probably waiting for his luggage."

April retrieved her cell phone from her purse and immediately dialed Joe's number. Her emotions were a mix of excitement and anxiety. She had missed her father and was looking forward to spending time with him, but she also dreaded that he would bring up the past, especially since she hadn't told her parents about Matthew's surprise visit. She also feared he would become overprotective as if she were the 6-year old girl who held his hand every time they crossed street.

And it was Valentine's Day. She didn't want it to be memorable for the wrong reasons.

"Hey, Daddy! Where are you? We just got here," she greeted Joe, catching her breath after she finally stopped pacing. "Oh, okay. We'll meet you there then."

Jackson smiled after April hung up her cell phone. "Still at baggage claim?"

"There was a slight delay with the crew, so he's still waiting," April confirmed, grabbing a hold of Jackson's hand. "C'mon, let's go meet up with him!"

They made the short trek to the baggage claim area where various passengers awaited the arrival of their luggage at numerous carousels. It only took about five seconds for April to spot her father. It was difficult to miss a man who stood at 6'6" in the crowd. She instantly released Jackson from her grip and nearly sprinted towards Joe with a bright grin on her face, calling out for him.

Jackson followed at a normal pace, smiling as he watched Joe engulf April with his large arms and lift her up from the floor. While he was aware that the two of them were very close, seeing them interact for the first time was concrete proof that his girlfriend was a daddy's girl. And Joe had given his daughter a bouquet of roses, which reminded the pretty boy that he had forgotten to do that for Valentine's Day, causing him to slightly grimace.

As he approached the reunited family members, he realized just how tall and large Joe Kepner truly was. It seemed as if the older man grew taller and taller with each step forward. Alex hadn't been joking when he first described him. His broad shoulders made April's head appear almost tiny. Jackson was positive his hands could choke a horse within ten seconds.

The nickname "Big Joe" was no joke either.

Joe sported a dark brown beard that matched a neatly trimmed haircut on his head. He wore a thick winter jacket over his blue flannel shirt, along with dark blue jeans and large brown boots. To Jackson, he almost resembled a lumberjack more than a farmer, which actually intimidated him, but he wasn't going to admit that out loud.

April waited until Jackson met up with them to introduce him to her father. "Daddy, this is Jackson Avery. He's the man I've been dating," she cheerfully said. "And Jackson, this is _the_ Joe Kepner."

"It's nice to meet you," Jackson politely answered, offering his hand. He and Joe shook hands, and he easily noticed the strong, perhaps too strong of a grip from the older man. "I've… I've heard a lot of great things about you from your daughter."

"Likewise, son. April had been raving about you nonstop on the phone," Joe acknowledged, using his free hand to rest it against his daughter's back. "Said you made her feel welcome in Seattle since her first day at work."

He proudly smiled as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "Well, I'm very happy she came here."

"Has your suitcase passed by yet?" April asked, eying the luggage carousel.

"Not yet. Oh, wait. There it is," Joe pointed out as a large, red suitcase with an Ohio State tag attached to it was heading towards their direction.

"Don't worry about it. I can get it for you," Jackson offered. Instead of waiting for the suitcase to travel closer to them, he walked towards it and grabbed the handle. Thinking it would be an easy lift, he was surprised when it was heavier than he initially thought. He needed both hands to pick it up from the carousel as he mumbled to himself, "What does he have in here? A set of weights?"

April smiled at her boyfriend when he returned. "Thank you for doing that. I think that's the only one he brought, so we can drive him to his hotel now."

Jackson also insisted on dragging the suitcase for Joe on their way out of the airport. He was a few steps behind him and April, who were already playing catch up with what was happening in Moline and the family. He quietly listened as Joe gave her a quick rundown about her mother and sisters. All three of her sisters lived on the east coast, the farthest one in Pennsylvania.

"Are we going to see Alex Karev today?" Joe inquired. "I know he's been good to you, but it continues to perplex me that you would share an apartment with a man who isn't your spouse. There aren't any female coworkers you can live with?"

"Daddy…" April softly groaned. "We've talked about this before. My living situation with Alex isn't awkward. He cleans up – sometimes. He has a girlfriend, so you have nothing to worry about. We aren't that type of friends. And you probably won't see him until tomorrow because he has plans tonight."

Joe slowly nodded. "Alright, then. I just have a small present for him from your mother. He asked for some taffy, so she made him a batch."

"When did he- nevermind. Forgot he has your number in case of emergencies," she muttered, rolling her eyes. Of course her roommate would snake his way into getting some of her mother's homemade taffy without her knowing.

"How about you, Jackson?" Joe asked, glancing over his shoulder at him. "You live with someone of the opposite sex?"

Jackson cleared his throat. "No, sir. My roommate is a guy. I've known him since intern year," he nervously replied. He hoped he wouldn't be questioned about how often he spent the night in April's bedroom and vice versa. If Joe had issues with Alex being her roommate, he probably wouldn't warm up to the idea of how many times she had sex with her boyfriend. "His name is George. He's a good friend of April's too."

"Would you be distracted by a female roommate?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. Depends on who my roommate is," he reluctantly answered. "I mean, a female roommate could be distracting for different reasons. It- it may not have anything to do with her appearance. I… I personally wouldn't go out and buy tampons for her."

Joe chuckled and pointed over his shoulder. "This one has a sense of humor, I see." He looked back at Jackson. "The last man April was with had very little of that. Such a buzzkill that one, and he was the most disrespectful person."

"Daddy, please," April intervened, biting on her bottom lip. "Can we not talk about him today, or _at all_?"

"Sorry, firebug," Joe apologized and planted a kiss on the top of April's head. "That's the last time you'll hear me speak of Matthew Taylor."

Jackson couldn't help but smirk a bit. Since Joe seemed to despise Matthew as much as he did, he thought maybe they would get along just fine. Based on their brief exchanges so far, none of his answers resulted in a negative response, so the path to Joe's approval appeared to be a smooth one for now.

* * *

When Jo wanted Alex to make plans for Valentine's Day she hadn't expected him to step out of his comfort zone and go all out for their date. So when he arrived at her apartment to pick her up she was surprised to see him standing outside in a suit. And she felt even more embarrassed that she had only been dressed in a blouse and jeans. Fortunately, there was enough time for her to change into her favorite dress and redo her hair before they left for the restaurant.

"Gosh, I can't believe you brought me here," Jo stated in amazement as she scanned the menu in front of her. Alex had taken her to one of the higher priced restaurants, which mostly consisted of seafood. He claimed their swordfish was one of the best and that he wanted to give it a try. Plus, he wanted to prove that he can be more than a decent date. "Everything sounds so good. I can't decide what to order."

"Order anything you want. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it," Alex encouraged her. "Don't hold back."

"Are you sure? Because I feel guilty about all of this. I honestly wasn't expecting you to get so dressed up for tonight, and I can't believe I answered the door wearing jeans!"

Alex reached across the table for one of her hands and smiled. "Seriously, don't worry about it. You deserve this." He opened his jacket and pulled out a long, black box from the inside pocket. "And this too."

Jo's mouth slightly dropped after he set the box in front of her. "Alex, you really didn't have to," she bashfully replied, picking up the box. "I hope you didn't spend a fortune on this. I'd feel way too guilty about accepting it."

"It's Valentine's Day. You gotta go big or go home, right?" he jokingly said with a shrug. "I've never done anything like this for anybody before, so trust me, I'm also nervous about your reaction. I just hope you like it."

She opened the box, which contained a necklace with her birthstone, a ruby, attached to it. "Wow. Alex, this is so beautiful! Thank you, it's perfect."

Alex simply smiled because it was one of the rare times when he didn't want to act smug about a nice gesture. He was actually trying to be humble about it, but he wasn't sure how to do that either. He was mainly relieved that his girlfriend loved his gift. "You need help putting it on?"

"Yes, please." Jo picked up her hair, while Alex stood up from his seat and walked around the table. He stood behind her as he placed the necklace on her. The color complemented her black dress. "Thank you. This is very sweet of you. You continue to surprise me with your kindness."

"Also, don't feel bad about not getting me anything. I wanted to make this day about you," he insisted.

"And you are so getting rewarded tonight," she implied, drawing a grin from her boyfriend. After they ordered their dinners, Alex's cell phone began ringing in his pocket. When he checked the caller ID she noticed a small frown on his face. "Who is it? Please don't tell me it's work."

"No. It's Cat," Alex murmured, which confused Jo even more. He decided to answer the call. "Hello? Hey, what's wrong? Dude, why are you crying? Uh, yeah. We can come get you. We'll be there in twenty minutes, okay?"

Jo's eyes widened after Alex hung up his cell phone. "What's the matter? Why is she crying? Is she okay?" she questioned in a panicked tone.

"She wouldn't tell me, but she's at the school."

"Okay, so let's haul ass and get over there. I want to know what's wrong with my kid," she replied as she hurriedly grabbed her purse and stood up. Jo raised her hand in front of her chest. "Wait. Why did she call _you_?"

Alex quietly shrugged before he waved over their waiter and told her that they were leaving for a family emergency. He and Jo rushed out of the restaurant, and he drove them to Cat's school. When they arrived they found her sitting outside of the school's gymnasium where the dance was being held. She was in tears as Jo ran towards her.

"Cat, I'm here. What happened?" Jo inquired, sitting down beside her daughter.

"Steven wanted to be someone else's date! He- he's dancing with stupid Bianca!" Cat sobbed on Jo's shoulder. "He told me she was prettier and- and I don't want to go back in there."

Jo frowned as she hugged Cat. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. That little bastard- I mean, _boy_ is an immature punk. And he is very wrong about you. You're one of the prettiest girls in your class," she soothingly said.

"You're just saying that because you're my mom," she muttered.

"No, no. It's true, Cat. I think Steven needs to have his eyes checked." Jo desperately wanted to storm into that dance and give that boy a piece of her mind. She didn't care that the so-called emergency wasn't actually one because for a 12-year old girl, being "dumped" by a boy in public was the end of the world for her. "You'll be fine."

Alex slowly approached the twosome after giving them some space. "Everything alright?" he asked with concern. "Is there a boy inside that I gotta have a word or two with?"

Cat shook her head. "Can we just go home?"

Alex pursed his lips, then he softly smiled. "Actually, I have a better idea. C'mon, let's get in the car. It's pretty freaking cold out here," he suggested.

Jo helped Cat stand up before walking her towards Alex's car. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he vaguely answered.

* * *

"No way! You've met LeBron James multiple times?" Jackson asked in awe as he engaged in a discussion about sports with Joe over an Italian dinner in downtown Seattle. The two men began bonding instantly over athletics, and April couldn't be more thrilled about how well the conversation was going. "I can't even get a random encounter with a Seahawks player here!"

Joe chuckled before sipping some water. "But you told me you hate the Seahawks."

"I know, but not the whole team. I wouldn't mind bumping into Russell Wilson," he sheepishly admitted. "I've never been lucky enough to meet any sports stars when I lived in Boston either. I suppose I'm one of those unlucky fans."

"Tell me more about your family, Jackson. You said you grew up in Boston and never left until you started residency here. April mentioned that you come from a family of surgeons."

Jackson felt a knot in his stomach. He wished they could continue talking about sports because his family wasn't a topic that was as appealing, especially with the bizarre connection with Alex Karev. "Umm, well… that's true. My family mostly resides in Boston. They work at Mass Gen. My grandfather has an elite award named after him," he awkwardly answered. "I… don't enjoy talking about that part, though."

"Oh, so your family has a dynasty type of reputation?"

"Pretty much, yeah," he murmured, reaching for his glass of wine. "Most of my family are cardiothoracic surgeons, but my mother is a urologist. And… my father bailed on us when I was three years old. He, uh, ended up marrying another woman. I found that out in high school."

"That's kind of a shame. You two keep contact with each other?" Joe inquisitively asked.

Jackson shook his head. "We don't contact each other at all."

"Are you close with your mother?"

"Not really. She's a bit crazy," he bluntly answered. "And I'm an only child. Well, no. I have a stepbrother and a half-sister. I've met both of them. I see one of them on a daily basis, to be honest."

Joe raised his eyebrow intriguingly. "Is that so? What a small world it is." He glanced over at April, who appeared fidgety. She was tapping her fingers against the table. "Do you know who he's talking about?"

April nodded after sipping her wine. "I do, actually." She softly laughed and grinned. "His stepbrother is Alex."

"Oh," he simply replied. "That's… that's one crazy coincidence, isn't it?"

"You're telling me," Jackson chuckled. "I'm still getting used to the whole thing."

"It started off hostile between Jackson and Alex, but they're getting along now. Everything has been going well since moving to Seattle, Daddy. Both you and Mom can stop worrying," April assured her father with a smile. "I'm very happy here."

Jackson wrapped his arm over April's shoulder. "I've been taking good care of her, sir."

"That's very nice to hear. Thank you," Joe graciously replied. April excused herself to use the women's restroom, which gave him the opportunity to question Jackson about a delicate topic. "Between you and me, young man, how much do you know about Matthew Taylor?"

The pretty boy was taken aback by the question. "Excuse me?"

"Listen, you seem to know a lot about my daughter, so you must know why she moved to Seattle. If you two are having an open and honest relationship, then she had to have told you about Matthew and what he did to her," Joe insinuated. "You seem like a man I can trust. I believe you when you said you take care of her."

"I do, yes," Jackson answered truthfully, though he refused to admit just _how_ he learned of April's previous relationship. He wasn't prepared for the mess that he might create if he told Joe about Matthew's visit behind her back. "And you can definitely trust me. I would never treat April the way he did. I respect her too much to do that."

Joe nodded. "Thank you. April may be a bit naïve and I can't help but worry that she'll catch herself another man who's as disgraceful as Matthew. I never felt good vibes with that one from the moment I met him. But April wanted to get married, have children and the surgical career she's been dreaming of. She thought she found it all instantly with him." He let out a sigh. "I like you, Jackson, but if you decide that she's not the one for you, let her down as nicely as possible. For my sake, I don't want to see her go through that terrible depression again. My heart won't be able to handle it."

Jackson thought it would be a bad move to insist that he would forever be happy with April because neither of them knew if that would be the case. He hated making predictions and preferred to live in the present, but she seemed to have the opposite attitude. Her naivety and inexperience with relationships was noticeable when they initially became friends, so he understood Joe's worries.

He was definitely content with his current relationship, but he also knew based on his past that happiness wasn't guaranteed in the long run.

* * *

The sound of pins being knocking over by a bowling ball echoed in the building as Alex watched Cat roll an almost strike. It didn't matter to him that most of the people in the bowling alley were giving them strange looks due to their fancier attire. He had ditched the dress jacket and the tie, but Jo and Cat wearing bowling shoes with their dresses was a peculiar look for such a casual activity. Regardless, he thought it was the best idea to allow Cat to unleash her aggression without becoming physical, but also something fun the three of them could do together.

"Nice try, kid," Alex encouragingly said when she returned to their area. "You still have a shot at a spare. Just remember to picture the pins as that dork's head and your aim will be better."

"Thanks, Alex. This is actually making me feel better," Cat cheerfully replied, then she picked up her bowling ball when it returned. "Steven's going down."

Jo laughed after her daughter walked away for her second turn. "This totally beats out a 46-dollar swordfish. Look at how much she's smiling. Sometimes it takes forever to bring her out of a bad mood. It's like a miracle."

"She just needed to let off some steam. Glad it's working." Alex held up his hand when Cat scored a spare. She skipped towards him and received a high five. "See? Was I right, or was I right?"

Cat snickered and sat down beside Jo. "I hope you know I'm beating you right now."

"By one point. Don't get too arrogant yet," he replied with a smirk, then he stood up for his turn. "We're only on the third frame."

Jo kissed the side of Cat's head and smiled. "You're doing great. I'm proud of you." She decided to change the subject on a slightly serious note. "So I've been wondering, why didn't you call me earlier? Why did you call Alex?"

"I didn't want you to be mad at me for ruining your date," Cat muttered. "And Alex has been cool with stuff I talk to him about lately, so I thought it would be okay to call him."

"You don't think you can talk to me about this _stuff_?"

"Well, when I brought up the dance and Steven I thought maybe you'd do the mom thing where you tell me all the things I shouldn't do with a boy. Like, don't have sex with him or something," she bashfully responded.

Jo guffawed. "Seriously? You're only 12! I know you're smarter than your age, and I also trust you more than you think," she reminded her. "But now that you've mentioned it, don't have sex until you're 30."

"Mom…" Cat softly groaned and laughed. "Anyway, I'm sorry I ruined your date."

"Don't apologize. You didn't ruin it at all," she assured her. Jo decided to show off the necklace Alex had given her and pointed it out for Cat. "But look at what Alex gave me for Valentine's Day. Isn't it neat?"

"That's our birthstone," she noted with a smile. "You're gonna marry him, aren't you?"

Jo nervously laughed as she watched Alex roll up his sleeves before his second turn. Even though marriage was a step she wasn't considering yet, she knew she was developing deeper feelings for him every day. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, young lady."

"Okay, but if you do plan on it, I would be really okay with you marrying Alex. He likes Hawaiian style pizza," Cat added and winked, eliciting another laugh from her mother.

* * *

Jackson followed April into her apartment after they dropped off Joe at his hotel. Dinner had ended on a bright note, despite the serious conversation the two men briefly had while April left the room. But Joe's words forced Jackson to think about his relationship with April more than he usually did. They were happy, but he felt something was missing and for the longest time, he wanted to pretend there wasn't that small void in their relationship. She likely hadn't noticed, but now it bothered him and he needed to tell her.

"So my dad loves you, just like I expected," April acknowledged as she hung her coat on a hook by the door. "He was also pleased with the restaurant you chose for tonight. You're such a great food scout."

He removed his jacket and hung it beside April's coat. "Meeting the big man is probably more stressful than the MCAT, but it's a relief to know that I impressed him. It was my sports knowledge, wasn't it? And I barely talked about the Patriots."

She giggled as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "You were so great with him. Hardly intimidated."

"Just those early moments when I met him. I thought he was going to crush my hand," Jackson amusingly replied. He received a soft kiss on the lips, but pulled away before she could deepen the kiss. "I want to talk to you about something first before we go to bed."

"Sure. What is it?"

"You're an amazing woman, and I don't think you even realize how strong you are. What you went through with Matthew and everything, I still can't imagine what that was like. And I know we can't predict the future, so I don't know what will happen between us a few months or a year from now," Jackson stated in a serious tone. "But one of the last things I want to do is make you unhappy because I'm not being completely honest."

April furrowed her brow as she softly laughed. "Okay, I'm a little scared of what you're about to tell me. I mean, are you breaking up with me or…"

"When the opportunity is right, I want you to come home with me to Boston – and meet my family. They have no idea that I have a girlfriend. I never wanted you to meet them because I was afraid they would tear you to shreds with their pompous way of thinking, but after meeting your dad, I don't want to hide you from my family anymore," he confessed. "I know you've met my mother already, but I want her to meet you as my girlfriend. My grandfather isn't entirely the devil, but he can be overwhelming. And I have cousins who can be extremely judgmental. Despite all of that, they deserve to meet you because I'm in love with a strong, beautiful woman and I want them to know that."

She grasped his cheeks and kissed him firmly on the lips. "Yes, I'll go home with you."

Jackson smiled as he intertwined his fingers with April's. "They'll probably grill us to death over there."

"We can handle it," she nonchalantly answered. "Mark Sloan's teaching technique has been prepping us for this."

"That's true," he chuckled, then he began guiding her towards her bedroom. "Successful Valentine's Day, don't you think? Who knew celebrating it with your dad would be enjoyable?"

April smirked as she pulled Jackson into her bedroom. "Yes, but thankfully, he's not here for the rest of our date."

* * *

 **Let me know what you think, please! :)**


	18. Straight Up

**Thanks for the reviews, folks! Well, the show is back and all I have to say is I hope Jolex isn't completely tainted by the writers this season lol. I suffered enough last season with Japril.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

April and Jo matched each other's pace as they jogged around Green Lake Park for their weekly morning run. They had decided to start a routine of meeting up on their days off – if their schedules coincided with each other's – and use the morning to squeeze in some exercise. It was only their second week, but as doctors, staying fit and healthy was important to them. Their jogs also allowed them to have their own gossip hour, especially if they needed to vent about their boyfriends.

Dressed in their workout attire – running jacket, crops and shoes – they were halfway through the paved path that outlined the lake as they concentrated on their breathing while also trying to have a conversation.

"I think Cat uses Alex as her main confidant for her personal issues," Jo blurted out. She glanced at April, who was focusing on inhaling and exhaling evenly. "Maybe I shouldn't see it as a huge deal, but you're a daddy's girl. Who did you talk to more about your problems?"

"My dad," she casually replied. "My mom didn't mind so much since she had three other daughters who gave her attention. Libby's her favorite anyway as her first born."

"Is it stupid that I'm worried?"

April looked back at Jo. "She's your only child. It's different for you. If it bothers you, then you should talk to Alex about that, or have a sit down with Cat. There has to be a reason why she won't open up to you," she suggested. "She also hasn't had a father figure in her life until now. It's an adjustment she seems to be enjoying."

Jo sadly smiled. "That's true, but do you honestly believe that Alex is a great source for dating advice?" she asked. "Yeah, I know a school dance is hardly a date, but she went to _him_ for advice on how to ask a boy – a very stupid boy – to be her date. She told me she didn't ask me because she thought I'd go into Mom Mode and nag her about sex or whatever."

"Would you?" the redhead chuckled.

"No, of course not. At least not until she's in high school," she answered. "Believe me, _the_ talk needs to happen before her first day of high school. Middle school and high school are two entirely different environments. Just because she's smart it doesn't mean she won't act stupid."

April softly smiled. "You're a great mom. Don't let Cat's closeness to Alex make you think otherwise. Think of this as a good thing. Makes your future a lot easier."

Her friend didn't have to say the magic word, but Jo knew she was referring to marriage. She wasn't sure if it was all in her head or if it was genuine, but she clutched her side and stopped running. "Oh, I have a cramp," she groaned, toppling over onto the grass beside them. "Let's take a break."

April stood above Jo as she lay on her back, attempting to catch her breath. "You want some water?" The brunette dismissively waved her hand and patted the spot beside her. She lay down beside her and sighed. "Hmm, a break does sound good."

"Do you think Alex would be open to going on a family vacation?" Jo curiously asked. "I've always wanted to take Cat to Disneyland. I've never been because the travel cost too much growing up, so it would be a first for the both of us."

"I think so. Disneyland was never his cup of tea, but maybe he'll change his mind because of Cat. He's grown up a lot since we moved here," she noted. April furrowed her brow as she stared up at the cloudy sky. "Jackson never wanted me to meet his family."

"What?" Jo replied, turning her head to look at April.

It wasn't until the morning after their date that April thought about what Jackson had told her. She had initially been worried that he was breaking up with her by the tone of his voice, but she was relieved to learn that he wanted to be honest with her about his family. However, the more she thought about it, the more confused she felt.

"After dinner with my dad on Valentine's Day, he told me that he never wanted me to meet any of his family. They don't even know he has a girlfriend. I understand he has issues with his family. He was worried about how they'd treat me. They're apparently very judgmental." April frowned. "Do you think some of it has to do with me?"

"What do you mean?"

"My past, the whole thing with Matthew. It's not exactly something to be proud of."

Jo shook her head. "That's ridiculous. You saw how Jackson reacted when his mother was here for his birthday. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die. He's ashamed of his family not you," she assured her. "I think he just wanted to protect you from whatever nonsense his family puts non-Averys through. I bet Lexie faced some scrutiny when they first met her."

"Okay, but how long would he have hidden me from them? Would he wait until a week before our wedding to tell his family that he's getting married?" April raised a finger before Jo could respond. "That was a rhetorical question."

"Well, I'm sure he would tell them earlier than that," she amusingly replied.

"Now he wants to bring me home to Boston, but I have a feeling he still hasn't told anybody about me. Meeting my dad seemed to have had an effect on him. What if they hadn't gotten along so well? Would that mean he still wouldn't even consider introducing me to his side? He likes to brag about me to everyone else!"

"At least he brags about you. Alex acts like it's too much work for him," Jo scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Maybe he does brag, but never when I'm around."

April shrugged. "Alex is arrogant about the most irrelevant things sometimes, but he hardly lets his sappy side come out around other people. On the plus side, his family does know you exist," she pointed out. "He _is_ close to his family, unlike my boyfriend."

"Our boyfriends kind of suck," Jo lightheartedly stated.

"They do, don't they?" she laughed. "I suppose it makes sense. They're sort of brothers after all."

Jo tapped her fingers against the grass, then she sighed. "I know this defeats the purpose of our exercise plan, but do you want to go get some doughnuts? I'm actually hungry now."

"Doughnuts sound good," April agreed. She also preferred to end their run early due to the lactic acid building up in her quads. It had been a while since she ran long distances. The longest distance she had ran in recent months was down a hallway and into a patient's room at the hospital. "I might need some help getting up."

Jo pushed herself up onto her feet first before she extended her hand out to April. She pulled her friend up, then they started walking to their cars. "Maybe we should hit up a spa too. We should enjoy our day off, while the guys are stuck at work," she proposed. "I need some good masseuse hands on these muscles."

"Same here. This is the one time I wish Jackson was here to carry me to my car," she quipped. "A spa day sounds heavenly."

* * *

Jackson sat behind a computer at the one of the nurses' stations as he impatiently refreshed the browser after every five seconds. The announcement for the Harper Avery Award finalists would be listed that day, and he knew they posted the five finalists at exactly noon Eastern time. He checked his watch and the clock on the wall to ensure his timing wasn't off. The awards ceremony would take place in May, which was a little more than two months away, but he wanted to see the list, so he could prepare to meet the surgeons his grandfather would force him to speak with regardless if they were cardiothoracic surgeons or not.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Alex arrived to hear the annoying sound of the computer mouse clicking rapidly. He walked around the counter to peek over Jackson's shoulder. "Oh, award season. You know there won't be anybody from Seattle Grace since you basically cursed this hospital."

"Yeah, I know that," he retorted. "I have to check the list because my grandfather is gonna make sure I kiss their asses at the dinner. He's been doing this to me every year since medical school. If I know the names, I can do a little research on them, so I know what to say when we meet. It sounds stupid, but it's the only way to get him off my back while I'm in Boston for two days."

George approached the twosome with Lexie. "Did they announce the Harper Avery finalists yet?" he eagerly asked.

"No, and I swear, the Internet here is working so damn slow," Jackson agitatedly replied. "Why isn't it up yet? It's three minutes past noon in Boston. They're efficient with this crap."

"I'm surprised you're not given a secret notice ahead of time. Is it because you chose not to do your residency at Mass Gen? Did they somewhat shun you from knowing the confidential information?" Alex teased.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "The only people who find out ahead of time are those who are on the committee and the surgeons who are chosen as finalists. Not every Avery has special privileges."

Lexie leaned forward against the counter and smiled. "Rumor has it that someone from Seattle Grace _did_ make the list."

"Are you serious?" he answered with raised eyebrows. "How is that even possible?"

"It's Altman, isn't it?" George speculated. "She has the whole stem cell research project that the board passed earlier this year. They gave her a grant that will allow her to grow hearts from stem cells. That's Harper Avery worthy."

"Didn't someone from Hopkins already do that?" Alex asked. "Besides, even if she is nominated, a surgeon from Hopkins always end up winning the award. Does your grandfather have a hard on for Hopkins or something?"

Jackson pursed his lips. "Actually, the stem cell research originated from Mass Gen," he muttered. "My cousin was in charge of the team who made the breakthrough for growing hearts. But of course, he wasn't nominated because he's an Avery."

"But I'm right about Hopkins," he declared with a smirk.

"Hopkins doesn't have a winner every year. They just happen to have a lot of great surgeons," Jackson defensively said. "Who knows? Maybe there won't be a finalist from Hopkins for a change. If Lexie's right about Seattle Grace getting a spot, he or she could have bumped Hopkins out of the running."

"When pigs fly," Alex scoffed.

Jackson refreshed the website one more time and let out a sigh of relief when the announcement page updated. "It's up. Here we go." He quietly began reading the names of the finalists and the reasons behind their nomination. "Karev, do you know Craig Thomas from Mayo?"

"The dinosaur?" Alex chuckled. He cleared his throat when his coworkers stared at him unimpressed. "Sorry. Dude's just really old. Some of the attendings and residents placed bets on when he'd finally croak."

"That's terrible," Lexie playfully scolded him.

"Hey, Yang started it," he added. "She called him a fossil behind his back, but he's a good surgeon. April will be excited about this. She liked working with him even though cardiothoracic surgery's never been her thing. What's he up for?"

"Something to do with a new minimally invasive procedure for LVAD implantation." Jackson continued to read the list of the finalists. He hoped Alex wouldn't give him more grief over the fact that another surgeon from Hopkins was nominated. However, the final name on the list forced him to quickly blink his eyes, hoping what he saw was purely in his imagination. "Holy crap, Mark Sloan?!"

George's mouth dropped open. "You're joking." He noticed the smile that Lexie was attempting to hide from their peers. "You knew all along, didn't you? Sloan told you himself, and that's why you brought up Seattle Grace."

Lexie threw her hands up. "Well, it was the first thing he bragged about when he got the call at 5 AM. I promised not to say anything until it was official publicly," she sheepishly replied. Jackson appeared disgusted and annoyed. "His research for skin regeneration has been going well. Some of his burn victims' skin have had an accelerated healing period."

"Don't expect him to win," Jackson bitterly responded. "They're being courteous because we're number two in the country. That's one less surgeon I have to mingle with, though."

"Mark already asked me to be his plus one, and yes, I'm going," Lexie proudly stated.

Jackson suddenly felt a lump in his throat. Not only did he despise the fact that Sloan would be in Boston to meet some of his well-known family members but now, his ex-girlfriend would be tagging along. The other problem was he planned on bringing April home with him. The trip would be used as the first opportunity to introduce her to his family. Because they were familiar with Lexie, he already pictured an awkward encounter with Catherine.

He hadn't told April the specifics of when he would bring her to Boston yet. Now, he was reluctant to bring up the idea of taking her to the awards ceremony as his date.

"Maybe I should go too. We can make it one big family reunion," Alex quipped. He received a scowl from Jackson, who stood up and walked away from his coworkers. He decided to follow the pretty boy and caught up with him in a hallway. "C'mon, you know I'd rather eat turd than attend one of your fancy Avery functions."

"You've been annoying, but for once, you're not the reason why I feel like my head is about to explode," Jackson said as he placed his hand against his forehead. "Sloan being there completely screws up my plans. I want to bring April to this, so she can meet my family, but he's bringing _Lexie_."

Alex quickly shrugged. "So what? You two haven't been a thing for years."

"Exactly, but that won't stop my mother from insisting we get back together. If she sees Lexie and meets April that same weekend, she'll just compare the two of them," Jackson explained in frustration. "And I don't want my mother thinking that I can't do better than Lexie. See, this is the type of thing I was already worrying about even before I found out Sloan was nominated."

"I'm not sure I'm following you, dude," he replied, eying him suspiciously.

"I want to bring April home with me to Boston after I originally never wanted her to meet them. Her father was so laid back and appreciative that I knew it would be unfair to her if I didn't return the favor." Jackson inhaled sharply, slipping his hands into his lab coat pockets. "But my mother isn't like Joe Kepner. She meddles and acts like she always knows what's best for me. And she has trouble letting go of things. For example, Lexie. I just think she'll humiliate April and I don't want to put her through that."

Alex furrowed his brow. "So Catherine doesn't even know you're dating April?" His stepbrother shook his head. "Uh, that's kind of stupid. Was your plan to bring home April like she's a surprise gift for your mom or something?"

"No, I would tell her ahead of time – probably a week before going home, but I would tell her," he awkwardly answered. "Or maybe I can pretend I can't get the time off from work. Missing one awards ceremony won't damage the Avery name. There will be plenty of other Averys there anyway."

"Wow," he laughed. "I never thought you could be this big of a pussy."

Jackson clenched his fists inside of his pockets, using all of his willpower not to punch Alex. However, he was right. He was scared of Catherine Avery, but he was too embarrassed to admit it. "Screw you, man. Don't you have some peds patient to coddle upstairs?"

"I was on my way up there, actually," Alex insisted, stopping when they passed an elevator. "But thanks for confirming to me what I already know, Mr. P."

Jackson ignored the cackling echoing in the hallway and used the nearest stairwell to make his escape. Finally, he felt as if he could breathe again without someone suffocating him with smart ass comments. He hoped Altman or Yang would give him work to do because he needed a major distraction from thinking about the latest upcoming events.

* * *

While waiting for their masseuses to arrive, both Jo and April were reading e-mails and text messages from their cell phones. So far, they had received manicures and pedicures. Now, it was time to relax with a Swedish massage. Both of them lay flat on their stomachs with only a towel covering their backsides.

"Oh, Dr. Thomas is a finalist!" April squealed after reading the first part of the Harper Avery Award nominees list. She turned her head to look at Jo and smiled. "He was one of the nicer attendings at Mayo. Weird sense of humor, but he liked me."

"Did you see who else is nominated?" Jo zoomed in on a specific name on her cell phone, then she showed it to her friend. "Mark freaking Sloan! This has to be a joke, right? I know he had some research breakthrough, but really?"

"I'm not so sure a likable personality is one of the qualifications, but we should be happy for the hospital. Jackson said Seattle Grace hasn't had a nomination since he started his residency. Perhaps his theory of nepotism working against us isn't necessarily true," she suggested. "I do have my loyalties, though. Dr. Thomas winning would be amazing. They've been wanting him to retire for years because of his age."

Jo set her cell phone aside and rested the side of her head against her arms. "Can you imagine how much more arrogant Sloan will be if he wins, though?" She stuck her tongue out in disgust. "I don't think I'd be able to handle it."

"You two don't work together often, so it wouldn't be too bad." April raised her eyebrow at the brunette. "What _are_ you planning on specializing in anyway? When we first met you didn't have a clue. Narrow your choices down yet?"

"Uh…" Her specialty was a topic that she hardly talked about because she still couldn't decide which area she was most interested in. Even general surgery left her feeling indifferent. She thought she might eventually end up in proctology if she couldn't make up her mind. "Nope. Still testing the waters. You and George are in Trauma, Avery has Cardio, Alex is surprisingly in Peds and Lexie is trying Plastics. I don't know what everyone else is doing, but I might be the only person in our class who hasn't zoned in on a specialty."

"You still have plenty of time anyway. Don't stress about it," April assured her. "There's always Neuro. Lexie's not there to wrestle it away from you."

Jo quickly shrugged. "Maybe my calling is General. Ortho might not be a bad option. Heard Torres is a good teacher."

"I've seen her pop a hip back into place so fast as if she's easily connecting a Barbie doll's leg back into its socket. It's kind of intimidating, but amazing at the same time," she acknowledged. "You know, I can see you doing the same thing, especially on days when Alex frustrates you or something."

"I could even practice on him," she jokingly replied.

April received a text message from Jackson and she laughed at the amount of emojis used after one simple sentence. "Does this seem odd to you?" she asked Jo, holding her phone out for her to read. "He wants to have dinner tonight, but what's with all of the winks and hearts? And I don't think the boy praying is supposed to mean anything. I think he hit that one by accident."

Jo examined the text message, scrunching her nose. "A secret code for sex? I have no idea," she chuckled. "Seems like it's the first time he's ever used emojis and it got out of hand. Weirdo."

"It's kind of sweet," she insisted as she replied to her boyfriend's message. "I think he has a surprise for me. I don't know what it could be, but this text is out of the ordinary. He's not an emoji type of guy."

* * *

 _Sounds great! I'll bring dinner to you!_

Jackson smiled after reading April's reply while he ate his lunch in the cafeteria. "O'Malley, do you mind spending a few hours away from the apartment tonight?" he politely asked. "April's coming over and I want to be alone with her, talk about important stuff."

"When you mean 'talk' you actually mean sex, right?" His roommate teasingly responded. "We're grown men. I know when you want time alone with your girlfriend, and I respect that."

"No, I'm serious. It's not sex. I have to talk to April about some things, and there's a good chance she won't take it well."

"Are you breaking up with her?" George curiously asked. "What happened? You two have been happy together since you started dating."

Jackson sighed in frustration. "I'm not breaking up with April. That's not even a consideration," he retorted. "I just have a feeling that what I want to tell her will upset her. I don't know how much, but she won't be happy about it for sure."

"Am I allowed to know what it is?"

"Well, it basically has to do with me going home to Boston for the awards ceremony… and not bringing her with me," he timidly replied, poking at the poor excuse of a meatloaf on his plate with his fork. "It's just… I can't do it."

George stared at him concerned. "Why not?"

Half of the answer to Jackson's problem entered the cafeteria, which erupted with applause when Mark appeared. The plastic surgeon soaked in every second of the congratulatory ovation, smugly grinning and offering thanks to those who were nearby as he walked past various tables.

"That's why," Jackson muttered, using his fork to point out Mark. "He's bringing Lexie to the dinner, and my mother still has this crazy infatuation with her."

"Okay, but how does not bringing April make this all better for you? Wouldn't bringing her prove to your mother that you've moved on?" George implied. "And part of Lexie's world revolves around Sloan, so she's bound to notice that too."

"Yeah, and if April's there, I have to introduce her to probably around 30 of my relatives. It would feel like I'm throwing her to a pack of wolves," he irritably stated. "And if my mother doesn't accept her right away, it's over. I think my mother's opinion of April will be a deal breaker."

George frowned at his insecure friend. He was used to seeing Jackson as the more confident person between the two of them. Despite Jackson's reasons, he believed his roommate would be making a huge mistake in his relationship if he decided to leave April out of his family tradition. "You're assuming the worst when it could actually be the opposite result."

"I'd rather play it safe than be sorry later," Jackson argued.

Mark approached their table after picking up a lunch to-go in a plastic container. "Avery, it's a shame you chose not to participate in my skin regeneration research. I would have named you in my acceptance speech. That award is going to look mighty fine in my office," he boasted.

"The only way you'll be displaying that award is if you steal it from the actual winner," Jackson bluntly replied. He slightly furrowed his brow at the plastic surgeon. "Hate to break it to you, but you're most likely not winning this."

"Ah, is that the sound of jealousy ringing in my ears?" Mark sneered. "You and I could have been a really nice team. I even had a name for us, but since you opted out of Plastics you don't get to hear it."

"How unfortunate," the third year resident sarcastically answered.

Mark grinned as he walked past the table. "But Lexie will be in my acceptance speech. Hope that's okay with you."

Jackson rolled his eyes and shook his head after Mark left the cafeteria. "Why do people continue to assume that I'm not over Lexie? I've been over her for a long time now! I have a girlfriend whom I love and I am happy with."

"And also hiding from your family," George mumbled, but it was audible enough for Jackson to overhear. He received a scowl from his roommate and sheepishly smiled. "Sorry, but that's what you're doing."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Don't remind me."

* * *

Sitting together at the small dining table, Jo, Cat, Jeanette and Alex were having dinner, a Hawaiian style pizza with salad. Jo had asked Alex to pick up the pizza on his way to her apartment. She hoped ordering her daughter's favorite pizza toppings would put her in an enthusiastic mood.

The 12-year old watched Jo suspiciously as her mother grabbed her third slice of pizza. "Is something wrong?"

"Why do you ask that?" she casually replied.

"Because you hate Hawaiian pizza. You give it the stink eye whenever I order it," Cat pointed out. She furrowed her brow as she eyed her mother and her great grandmother. "Someone's dying, huh?"

"Cat!" Jo chuckled. "Of course not. I can enjoy Hawaiian pizza every once in a while. And Alex is a fan, so eating this for one night won't kill me. Besides, it's not so bad. In fact, I should have ordered extra pineapple on this pizza. I think they were stingy with the pineapple."

Cat looked at Alex, who simply shrugged and stuffed his mouth with pizza. "What's going on?" she curiously asked. "Mom, no offense, but you're being weird."

Jo sighed as she set her pizza down onto her plate. "Alright, fine. I was hoping we could get through dinner before telling you what I have in mind for your spring break, or even summer vacation, whichever might be more doable for all of us," she answered with a smile. "I thought this year we could fly down to California and spend a few days at Disneyland. That sounds fun, right?"

"Disneyland? Really?" her daughter excitedly said. "Alex is coming too?"

"Well, if he wants to," Jo stated, eying Alex. "He's welcome to join us. Would you not want to go if he wasn't?"

"No, it's not that. I mean, if it was just the three of us, then someone would have to sit alone on rides. Don't a lot of rides seat two people together? I don't want Nana to feel left out," Cat explained. "And Alex eats here all the time, so he's considered family, at least I think so."

Alex smirked as he chewed his food. He thought Cat's reasons were a little half-assed, but he was flattered nonetheless. "Sure, I'll go. I went with my family when I was a kid, but I barely remember the trip," he answered after he swallowed, then he pointed at himself. "But I'm not wearing any goofy looking hats while we're there."

Jo clapped her hands together and grinned. "Then it's settled." She looked at Jeanette. "Is this okay, Nana? You'll be able to take some time off from work?"

"I'm pretty sure I have some vacation days left. This is a great idea, Josephine," the older woman complimented. "What made you decide to plan this vacation now?"

"I think we're in a stable place financially right now, and I have enough money in my savings that I can spend some of it without feeling guilty. And I've been wanting to take Cat to Disneyland since neither of us have been there before. The flights, the hotel, the park tickets – I'll take care of it all," she proudly said. "I put in a lot of hard work for this. I want all of us to feel rewarded."

"I'd like to chip in," Alex proposed. "I'll take care of the hotel, okay?"

Jo shook her head and smiled. "It's fine. You don't need to pay for anything."

"Nah, I insist. I'm practically hopping onto your bandwagon, so the least I can do is help out."

"No, really. It's okay, Alex. This is on me."

"Yeah, but-"

"Alex! I can take care of this! I've been taking care of my family even before you came along," Jo sternly replied, catching everyone off-guard with her outburst. She took a deep breath, then she pushed herself up onto her feet. "Excuse me for a minute."

Alex waited until Jo went outside to the front porch before he excused himself and followed her. He closed the front door behind him and slowly approached her. "What is your problem? I thought that spa day with April was supposed to help you relax or whatever."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out like that. I just think I'm losing my cool status with Cat, and I was hoping this vacation idea would help me out a bit," she admitted. "It sounds stupid, but she's been opening up to you way more than she opens up to me. She sees you as this amazing, great person. I don't want to become the so-called evil parent when I have to discipline her."

"Dude, c'mon. That's not gonna happen. We're just bonding and stuff. It doesn't mean she thinks less of you as a parent," he assured her. "Isn't it better that we're actually talking instead of her giving me the cold shoulder every time we're in the same room? Because I thought she would do that after our first encounter. I'm not exactly the kid whisperer regardless of how much time I've been spending in Peds."

Jo softly groaned, pressing her hands against her cheeks. "I think I'm going nuts. This is the first time that I'm in a relationship where my boyfriend and my child get along, and I'm not used to that. Hell, I've never experienced my boyfriend knowing about Cat and being okay with it until now. I'm used to it being just Cat and I, and my grandmother." She dropped her hands to her sides. "I'm going to sound like an awful girlfriend for a second, but I feel like I have to compete for Cat's affection."

"Yeah, I get it. You don't have to feel that way, though. You're still her mom. I'm just… the guy whose ass gets kicked whenever we play Xbox," Alex lightheartedly replied. "To be honest, I think that's the real reason why she's nice to me."

"You know you're more than that to her," she laughed, wrapping her arms around his waist. Jo rested her head against Alex's shoulder and sighed. "I don't sound crazy to you, right?"

Alex smiled and kissed the top of his girlfriend's head. "Crazier than your normal crazy? Nope." He snickered when she playfully pinched his sides and he squirmed out of her grasp. "But seriously, can I chip in for the trip? It's not because I think you need help. I just want to do it."

"Okay, fine. You can… pay for all of the overpriced food they probably sell down there," Jo answered with a smirk. She grabbed a hold of his hand and led him towards the door. "Let's go back inside before Cat assumes I'm dumping you. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

Jo held on to the doorknob, but she didn't open the door yet. "I want to meet your parents," she stated, looking over shoulder at him. "I've met Amber, so I want to meet the rest of your family. Hopefully, before the start of our fourth year. Deal?"

Alex offered a half-smile as he followed Jo into the apartment. "I guess that can be arranged. We'll see."

* * *

Following a Chinese takeout dinner, Jackson deposited April onto his bed and planted kisses along her neck. "Thanks for bringing dinner," he said in between kisses. "I've actually never tried that place before."

"Yes! I finally scouted a restaurant you've never been to. It's a miracle," she quipped. Jackson was already occupied with unbuttoning her sweater, but she hoped that their dinner was more than a night of sex. "Umm, is there something special about tonight?"

"Special?" He raised himself up with his arms and positioned his body above hers. "What do you mean?"

April shyly chewed on her bottom lip and smiled. "The text you sent me was a little fishy to me. You've never sent me a message with emojis before, and when you finally do it's an overflow of them." She softly giggled. "It was cute, but strange."

Jackson forced himself to laugh. He hoped he could hold out on telling April how he felt about the awards ceremony after sex as a way to soften the blow, but he figured clothes wouldn't be coming off until he confessed. "Oh, I just wanted to talk to you about something, but it can wait."

"What did you want to talk about?" she probed.

"Uh, did you see the finalists for the Harper Avery Award? Impressive, huh?" he timidly answered. "Who knew Sloan was worthy of the award? The man's the biggest jackass in the hospital, yet he managed to impress the committee."

April stared at Jackson with a puzzled expression on her face. "That's what you wanted to talk about? I mean, I gotta be honest with you. I'm rooting for Dr. Thomas from Mayo." She rested one of her hands against his chest. "But really, what did you want to talk about?"

He desperately didn't want to lie to her, so he moved away from her and sat upright on his bed. "Ever since medical school, my mother and grandfather have forced me to attend the awards ceremony. I'm fully expecting a phone call and a formal invitation in the mail next month. I thought about bringing you as my plus one."

Her face lit up as she sat up to face him. "Oh, my gosh. Are you serious? Of course, I'll go!"

"Actually," Jackson started with a grimace. "I'm not going. I thought about it, and I don't want to go this year."

"Why not?" April slightly frowned. She couldn't help but feel disappointed because she thought this might be the only chance she could ever attend a Harper Avery Award ceremony.

"Because Sloan will be there, and he's bringing Lexie." Jackson suspected that April had no idea what the problem was based on the blank expression on her face. He already hated himself for what he was going to say next. "My mother is still attached to her, so it would make for an awkward encounter. She'll be raving about Lexie and comparing you to her. I don't want you to go through that."

April waved her hand in front of her chest. "Okay, let me get this straight. You don't want to bring me home to Boston to meet your family because of your ex-girlfriend, whom I'm on good terms with? And you don't think your mother will like me as much as she likes Lexie? You're trying to make excuses, so I don't have to meet them."

"No, I do want you to meet them – just not yet. Not on that weekend," he insisted.

"You know, it would help if you told your mother that you're seeing someone else _before_ that weekend. The only reason why she would even think to try to get you back together with Lexie is because she thinks you're still single!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "If you want my opinion, I don't think you actually want me to meet your side at all. You don't think I'm good enough to meet them."

Jackson immediately shook his head. "No! That's not why. It's not you, April. It's my family. They're difficult people and-"

"And you don't think I can handle them? Was your whole speech about how strong of a person I am a load of crap?"

"Of course not! I meant all of that. Listen, I'm just worried that whatever comes out of my family's mouths will rub you the wrong way."

April scooted off the bed and adjusted her sweater. "Well, right now, everything coming out of _your_ mouth is rubbing me the wrong way, so I'm going to leave," she angrily replied. "Instead of worrying about how your mother will judge me, maybe you should think about how you're going to defend me if she does. It sounds like you wouldn't do a damn thing about it and would let me suffer alone. But whatever, I've been through hell and back, so a snobby mother won't faze me. I can defend myself."

Jackson sighed, chasing after April when she walked out of the bedroom. "Please, don't go. I'm sorry for upsetting you, but I wanted to be honest." He stepped in front of the door before she could leave. "I'd rather spend that weekend here with you, doing things together that I genuinely enjoy. I'll introduce you to my family another time. I promise."

"When will this 'another time' be?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He remained silent as he gazed down at the floor. "I think you need to learn how to get past your issues with your family, Jackson. They're turning you into a coward."

Jackson stepped aside when April reached for the doorknob. He winced after she left his apartment and slammed the door shut behind her.

* * *

 **Don't worry, this won't ruin their relationship. April's just annoyed at the moment lol. Let me know what you think, please! :)**


End file.
